As we edge closer to a full year of living with coronavirus, it seems that everyone has got into the habits of the new normal.
People are staying at home as much as possible, keeping their distance from people not in their family, people are wearing masks, and people are cleaning their hands more often.
However, there are still some moments in life when people tend not to follow the advice as well as they should. Key amongst these are the moments when people don’t sanitise their hands when they should.
1. After handling money.
Money is dirty stuff. It is passed from person to person to person, with one survey finding that a banknote , “… will have been touched by 594 different people during its 36 month life span.” That’s an average of a different stranger every two days.
With doctors finding that the coronavirus can last up to 5 days on a surface such as paper, then the money you receive in your change could easily be contaminated.
2. After filling your car with petrol.
Hundreds of people have touched the nozzles at the petrol station, so make sure you use the gloves provided there or sanitise after filling up.
Alternatively, follow the American Center for Disease Control’s advice which states, “Use disinfecting wipes on handles and buttons before you touch them.”
3. After shopping.
Most people have become used to the idea of sanitising their hands when entering a shop, but often forget to wash their hands or use sanitiser when they have finished shopping.
One way to remember to sanitise after your shopping is done is to leave a bottle on your car seat or dashboard. This will remind you to clean your hands before you start the engine and drive home.
4. After accepting deliveries.
With so many shops closed, the number of deliveries people are having has risen dramatically. But don’t forget, each parcel from Amazon or letter from the Post Office could be carrying the coronavirus on it. So, make sure to sanitise or wash your hands after handling packages and deliveries.
5. After meeting a sick person.
While everyone is trying to socially distance, meeting other people is inevitable. If that person also looks unwell, then you should sanitise your hands after meeting them.
What they think is only a cold or a hangover, may in fact be COVID-19. This means that during your short chat in the street, at the shop doorway, or at the school gates, you may have been sprayed with saliva containing coronavirus from the coughs, sneezes, or spoken words of a simple conversation.
6. After dropping the kids off at school or kindergarten.
While older kids may have to stay at home or can find their own way to the classroom, younger children or those going to kindergarten or nursery need to be taken right inside the school. Once you’ve helped them with their shoes and coats and can step outside again, clean your hands with sanitiser - even before you take off your mask.
Having read this far, maybe it’s time you thought about your daily routine and considered the moments in your life when you are most at risk of infection. Do you still shake hands? Do you sanitise after walking the dog (touching gate handles)? Do you sanitise after bringing the dustbins back in?
It’s time to have a COVID rethink. And if you want to stay healthy, maybe give yourself another squirt of hand gel.
If you would like to know more about the importance of hand sanitiser read: What Does a Hand Sanitiser Need to Beat Coronavirus?. Alternatively, if you are looking for high-quality hand sanitiser and disinfecting products visit: AG PROTECT.
Photo credit: pexels, Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay, Mikhail Nilov from Pexels, Karolina Grabowska from Pexels, Andrew "Donovan" Valdivia, & Hala Al-Asadi on Unsplash
