By Lindsay Bononno

A Refresher on Safety Basics as We Open and Close and Open and Close and…

Does it seem as though the question of spending time with someone centers around trust? Like whether you trust them, or more like, whether you think – they think – you trust them?

But really, let’s stop and think about it for a minute. Isn’t it really about science? In the scope of living, we get exposed to people who were exposed to people, which is what spreads the virus, right? We learned when we were little to cover our mouths when we sneeze or cough, wash our hands after using the bathroom or blowing our nose or touching something “germy”.

Using our mom’s and dad’s best advice, let’s revisit some very simple practices we can use to minimize our exposure to COVID-19 and lessen our risk at contracting the virus.

1. Wear a mask when in public places.

Wearing a mask when in public allows us to move freely among stores and other public places while keeping virus droplets in the air to a minimum. 

2. Keep shopping as minimal as necessary, not for entertainment.

Speaking of minimum, let’s go shopping for necessities only instead of for entertainment. Now isn’t the time to be roaming around Target (unfortunately)!

3. Stop using our fingers for everything – use knuckles, wrists, elbows, etc. to open doors, turn on lights, etc.

Get creative with doing things like opening doors and turning on lights. Gloves are actually more likely to spread germs than bare hands, so circumvent this by using a sleeve or hip to open a door, using our knuckles to key in a pin number or using our wrist or elbow to flip a light switch. Try one of the new-fangled door-opener, button-pusher, stylus-tip all-in-one gadgets we can get and give for about $15.

4. Keep your distance

It’s easy to forget when it’s not in the forefront of your mind, but remember to keep our distance! Six feet is the recommended distance to maintain between yourself and others outside of your household. It may feel awkward to move away from people on the sidewalk or in the store, but it is for both parties’ protection. Add a smile and a wave and the awkwardness drops away.

5. Keep all touching to a minimum – products in stores, any and all people outside of our household, etc.

Keep touching of any and all items to a minimum including produce, products in stores, masks, door handles and other surfaces.

6. Watch where you put your phone – and sanitize it!

In addition to lessening the things you touch outside of your possession, keep an eye on where you place your phone! Don’t put it down on a foreign surface and do your best not to use it when out in public. Sanitize your phone regularly, especially after leaving the house.

7. Use contactless payment methods when possible.

Use contactless payment methods when possible, whether that means paying ahead online or utilizing Apple Pay or a similar service.

8. Wash your hands every time you get home – keep sanitizer in the car and use it when you’re not able to wash.

Lastly, wash your hands every time you get home.  Keep hand sanitizer or wipes in your bag or car to de-germ on the go. Then, (remember what mom always told us?) go wash your hands. It is the best way to decrease the spread of germs.