7 Ways to go out and stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic
Over two months later India enforced a strict nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, but now the government of India is allowing most businesses and services to resume. People are returning from their jobs and starting to trickle out of their homes.
During the lockdown, experts’ guidance has been followed well: As much as possible, stay home and avoid social gathering. In the new reality, with a vaccine likely still months or years away, some experts have said that a new approach is needed to implement among the people to stay safe amid this pandemic.
It would be great for people to stay home all the time, but we all know that isn’t possible. So now question is, what can we do to minimize the harm to ourselves and others if and when we choose to go out?
In a short answer, Wash your hands. Do not touch the face. Wear a mask and maintains distance from people (you don’t live with) at least 6 feet. For those of you who have a chronic health issue, or are 65 years old or more, you should take all these precautions very seriously.
Now a lot of people will say that short answers we have heard a million times, So we are going to discuss seven points, which may help you minimize risk while you going out.
1) Stick to the outdoors
Experts have given a piece of advice for those who decide to go out: people who can do something out of their house instead of indoors, they should prefer it outdoors. At the time people prefer cooking in their yard, which is good for them. You should consider it as well.
This pandemic spread through airborne droplets – that land on the surface, afterward they pick up with their hands. Outdoor alleviate these vectors of spread in many different ways.
first, the open-air won’t let airborne droplets to reach other people.
second, it would be easier to keep a distance from others as compared to inside.
So, if you are considering hanging out with friends outside (keep it to a small group). If you are going to eat at a restaurant, look for outdoor seating. Prefer morning walk instead of going gym. Many experts believe that policymaker can take advantage
“It’s a good year for outdoor dining and outdoor shopping and outdoor all kinds of activities.” According to Mark McClellan, (who formerly lead both CMS and FDA) from VOX
The one exception, of course, is your lovely home. As long as you and your family stay at home, it’s safe, if no one inside is sick.
Experts have recommended to people to do things outdoors, that doesn’t mean it is totally safe. Being around people who don’t live with you can create some problems during this pandemic.
However, during this pandemic, doing outdoor activities could safer (outside of your home). For some, that’s a reprieve that makes all the other necessities for social distancing a little more bearable.
As we all know that spending time outdoors could be beneficial for all of us on its own.
2) Follow good hygiene practices
We have been getting constantly message from a health authority that “keep washing your hands” and “Do not touch your face.” If you are going to very frequently venture far outside your home. So do consider seriously it doesn’t matter how old are you.
Many reports indicate that the COVID-19 could survive on a different surface for an hour or days at a time. If you touch those surfaces, then touch your faces – soon you may get infected.
By now there are a lot of guidance available on the internet about how to avoid touching our face and wash our hands. If you haven’t seen yet, go and check out, I’m sure those tutorials would be helpful.
AS per CDC, before eating or after using restroom “Hand should be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.” Also do not forget to back of your hand, finger, thumbs, and your wrists. If you cannot access soap and water, use hand sanitizer with more than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol.
Yes, these hygiene practices work, and we are hearing over and over again. If you would like to minimize risk to yourself, then you should follow this hygiene practice.
3) Wear a mask
In light of data about how coronavirus spread, along with proof of widespread coronavirus illness is communities all over the country, many institutions and organizations (CDC, WHO) agree that every individual should wear a mask when they go out. You can wear mask surgical mask, N95 mask if you have one, also cloth one would be good if you can’t access it.
CDC (The central for Disease control and prevention) recommends that “In public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.”
Mask can stop transmission from the wearer to other people, especially from those who are infected but not showing symptoms at all. If you put the mask on face properly, you’re less likely to get infected from virus-containing droplets. Mask also likely gives some safety to you by creating a physical barrier from droplet from other people in front of our mouth and nose.
However, the research is not enough, but there are few suggestive pieces of evidence: As long as you wear masks properly, the report shows that it reduces disease transmission overall. While many other experts hypothesize that masks are playing a very crucial role in this pandemic.
Most countries are not allowing N95 for the general public because of shortage. It would be difficult to buy. But you can use a cloth mask which can make at home. If you want to learn how to make a Mask at home, then check out the CDC tutorial.
As you know the country has allowed a maximum of 50 people at the wedding function or any other function. If you are hoisting event (which is not but it is going to happen) – offer masks to those who are attending the ceremony.
When you wear a mask, don’t fidget with it like touching your face, and avoid taking it off until you return home. Throw away disposable masks once you use it, if you have reusable mask then wash after use them. Also, do not forget to wash your hand before and after taking off the mask.
One more important thing, it is common to have a little harder time breathing while putting a mask on face for long hours. But you know discomfort is much better than not getting sick of the virus, so Do not take off the mask in the middle of somewhere.
4) Stay away from the crowded area
Many markets are going to open up, again we are going to see the crowd in the market. Throughout this pandemic, people are being instructed to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others. So, stay away from the crowd.
In the South Korea call center, 44% of employees on one floor have got infected by coronaviruses, the analysis of the seating report shows how easily COVID 19 spread in the offices. In March, 97 out of 811 employees tested positive at a Seoul call center. Of the sick workers, 94 sat on the same floor – the building’s 11th – and 79 were in the same section. The article published in the Journal of Emerging Infectious Disease.
Prolonged and close contact could be risky for people. A jogger passing by you for two to 5 seconds isn’t created risk. But if you are within 6 feet of others for a longer time – especially for hours. It could be dangerous for any one of us.
“The two variables we worry about is that distance from another person who might be sick and the time spends with them.” Says Crystal Watson, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins center for Healthy Security, from citizen Cartwright.
This principle applies to the outdoors, too. As we have discussed outdoor, it is safer than indoors, despite it, it still a good idea to avoid packed parks or beaches. Anyone who doesn’t live together, they shouldn’t stay together for long in any setting.
So, if you are planning to go out for food, do consider to skip the packed restaurant. If you are going to the park or beaches, find an area where very few (2 to 3) people around. Hosting party, don’t invite too many during this pandemic, also avoid hugging and handshaking.
5) Avoid share surface
It could be possible that people can get coronavirus by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it if you want to minimize that risk, try to avoid share surface as much as possible.
So even if you are planning to go outdoors, try not to touch anything which has been touched by different kinds of people, like swings, bench, swings, slides – at the very least, wipe them out before using them. If you are entering in the building -where you don’t live or using public transport, try to minimize how much of the space you touch.
Now people are going back to their own office, but during this pandemic, try not to share food, drink, and many others. That doesn’t mean you have to be fearful about food or getting various things delivered to you.
6) Do not go outside from home over and over again.
Whether, you are going out for food or work, or you are leaving home because you can’t stand the sight of your apartment anymore, one way to reduce risk is to space out all trips.
With each venture outside, you are creating risk for yourself during this pandemic, that’s why it said “Stay home and Stay Safe.” So, it isn’t a good idea to be going out of the store or mall over and over again or even every day, when you go to the store buy as much as you can afford and carry in one go. Don’t buy stuff for 6 months or a year, one month would be enough.
Since you are going out to the store and mall every day, it is impossible to keep the physical distance. Reading this article, that doesn’t mean every single is going follow the rule perfectly and some time we forget something at stores which have to go back. But remember spaced out trips outside the home would be great.
7) If you are in a particularly at-risk group, take extra precautions.
As per CDC’s current available information, Chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, liver issue, and obesity. Having one of these appears to heighten the risk of complications and death due to COVID – 19. People who are 60 or more are at higher risk too.
In such a kind of people need to be extra careful and strict for themselves. One-way experts describe: If you fall into one of these chronic conditions, have to follow the same rules, but take this on the next level like if normal people washing their hands 5 times, those people should wash their hands 10 times. If others are maintaining distance 6 feet, those in at-risk should try 10 feet.
Many Expert believes that older people should stay at home as much as possible, in the way they can protect themselves.
What we have discussed, nobody is going to follow perfectly because some of the tips may not be possible for them. But better you can do it, the lower the risk would be.
