How do you protect your home from viruses?
In such a turbulent time, it is often easy to overlook heartwarming moments as people have been offering their support to people in need. Remember there is support available if you need it. But it is also important to remember that people who live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 are at higher risk of developing COVID-19 in the next 14 days. They could spread the disease to others even when feeling well, which is why they must stay at home.
How to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in your household
You should be taking the following steps in order to reduce the spread of infection of COVID-19 inside your home:
- Wash your hands regularly
- Cover your face safely when you sneeze or cough
- Ventilate the rooms in your home
In addition, it is so important to clean your home thoroughly to reduce the spread of infection. Using a product such as the Bacteo Power Lamp can help you to elevate the health and safety standards within your own home.
What is the infection timeline for COVID-19?
If your loved ones are showing symptoms of COVID-19, they are potentially able to infect others up to 2 whole days before their symptoms start to show. Then, they are able to infect people for up to 10 days after that. The individuals with COVID-19 symptoms can pass the infection on to others in a short amount of time.
It is also worth mentioning that even if a person only has mild symptoms or is showing no symptoms at all but has come into contact with someone with the virus or tests positive, they must stay at home. And as an extra safety measure, it is important to regularly clean frequently touched surfaces and shared areas such as kitchens and bathrooms and keep indoor areas well ventilated by opening windows where possible.
How is COVID-19 spread?
COVID-19 can be spread from individual to individual through micro particles and drops, through direct physical contact and much more. The infection rate is more prevalent in poorly ventilated indoor spaces and is especially volatile when groups of people are in the same room or spending a lot of time together.
Keep in mind, the risk of COVID-19 spreading increases dramatically when people are going about their day in close proximity to each other. Therefore, everyone in your household should ensure they are taking measures and following government recommended steps of reducing the risk of catching COVID-19 or passing it on to others.
Use a face covering
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or a positive test result, use a face covering when spending time in shared areas inside your home if possible. Used correctly, a face covering may help to protect others by reducing the transmission of COVID-19 but they do not replace the need to limit your contact with other household members. It is always imperative to follow government guidance to the best of your ability in these turbulent circumstances.
Caring for your loved ones
It’s also important to care for your mental wellbeing and health. A quick google search will show you many ways to implement self care practices if you are currently in home isolation, or working from home. But, it may be difficult for some people to separate themselves from others in their household. Especially if there is a need for care.
Ventilate indoor areas
Keeping your home well ventilated is a good way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. If you have symptoms, stay in a well-ventilated room with a window to the outside that can be opened (if this is possible) and keep the door closed, whilst allowing indoor areas to remain aired, especially shared living areas.
Good respiratory hygiene is a must
Remember to use and trash tissues in a responsible manner, and you must avoid using handkerchiefs. Another great way of reducing the spread of COVID-19 is cleaning surfaces. And small changes to your daily routine such as minimizing the possibility of dispersing the virus through the air, by measures such as handling your dirty laundry in a responsible manner.
Kitchen tips
Another simple way of stopping the virus is by not sharing towels. It is important to regularly wash kitchen materials including hand towels and tea towels. Also, good hygiene in the kitchen is important. Don’t forget to thoroughly wash glasses, bottles, dishes and cutlery. And, regularly change your scrubbing brushes that you use to clean plates.
If possible, use a dishwasher to clean and dry your dishes thoroughly. An alternative is to wash them by hand using sufficient washing up liquid and warm water and dry them thoroughly using a separate tea towel, which should be washed immediately after. These are simple yet very effective methods at getting rid of the virus in your kitchen.
Regular hand washing
It may seem simple to wash your hands. But do you know the best way to wash your hands to actually get rid of any bacterial residue that may be hanging around on your skin? You must regularly wash your hands with a good quality soap and hot water for 20 seconds. Or, it’s equally effective to use hand sanitiser. There are many quality hand sanitisers on the market.
Remember to clean your hands thoroughly and frequently, and avoid touching your face whenever possible. It is also particularly important to wash your hands every time you cough, sneeze or blow your nose. If you do cough or sneeze, cover both your nose and mouth with disposable tissues.
When you do not have a tissue it’s important you don’t sneeze into your hands. Instead cough or sneeze into your elbow. Then, be aware that you need to dispose of tissues into a trash bag and immediately wash your hands after doing so. It is important to be responsible when managing any mucus or phlegm and very important that you consistently sanitise your hands.
And, it is worth mentioning that you should always wash your hands before you are eating or preparing food. Remember to wash underneath your nails (many harmful bacteria get stuck and harbour there) and do not forget to bathe your wrists too.
Remember, one of the most efficient methods to lower the risks of contracting COVID-19 or potentially passing it on to other people is to be mindful about handwashing. By following simple procedures, you can be sure to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in your home.