COVID-19: Safety Precautions [COVID-19]

Is wearing rubber gloves while out in public effective in preventing coronavirus? No. Regularly washing your bare hands offers more protection than wearing rubber gloves. You can still pick up COVID-19 contamination on rubber gloves. If you then touch your face, the contamination goes from your glove to your face and can infect you.

Can COVID-19 be spread through coins and banknotes? There is currently no evidence to confirm or disprove that COVID-19 can be transmitted through coins or banknotes. However, respiratory droplets expelled from an infected person can contaminate and persist on surfaces. Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly after touching any frequently-touched surface or object, including coins and banknotes. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose, if your hands are not cleaned.

Are hand dryers effective in killing the new coronavirus? No. Hand dryers are not effective in killing COVID-19. To protect yourself against the new coronavirus, you should frequently wash your hands with soap and water or clean them with an alcohol-based hand rub. Once your hands are cleaned, dry them thoroughly by using paper towels or a warm air dryer.

Ultra-violet (UV) lamps should not be used to disinfect hands or other areas of your skin. UV radiation can cause skin irritation and damage your eyes. Cleaning your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or washing your hands with soap and water are the most effective ways to remove the virus.

How effective are thermal scanners in detecting people infected with the new coronavirus? Thermal scanners are effective in detecting people who have developed a fever (i.e. have a higher than normal body temperature) because of infection with the new coronavirus. However, they cannot detect people who are infected but are not yet sick with fever. This is because it takes between 1 and 14 days before people who are infected become sick and develop a fever.

Do vaccines against pneumonia protect you against the new coronavirus? No. Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and type B (Hib) vaccine, do not provide protection against the new coronavirus. However, vaccination against respiratory illnesses is highly recommended to protect your health.

Can regularly rinsing your nose with saline help prevent infection with the new coronavirus? No. There is no evidence that regularly rinsing the nose with saline has protected people from infection with the new coronavirus. There is some limited evidence that regularly rinsing nose with saline can help people recover more quickly from the common cold. However, regularly rinsing the nose has not been shown to prevent respiratory infections.

Shared housing residents often gather together closely for social, leisure, and recreational activities, shared dining, laundry facilities, stairwells, and elevators and may have challenges with social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

• Promote social distancing: no handshakes, no hugs, no close-up conversations. People need to stay at least 6 feet away from each other.
• Re-arrange common areas to avoid having more than 10 seats in an enclosed space and so seats are at least 6 feet apart and facing away from one another.
• Wear cloth face coverings in any shared spaces, not including your room.
• Seek out a “buddy” in the facility who will check on you and make sure your are getting basic necessities, including food and household essentials.

Tips for shared kitchens, dining rooms, laundry rooms, & bathrooms:

• Access should be available, but the number of people should be restricted so that everyone can stay at least 6 feet apart from one another.
• Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, or eating utensils. Non-disposable food service items used should be handled with gloves and washed with dish soap and hot water or in a dishwasher.
• Guidelines for doing laundry such as washing instructions and handling of dirty laundry should be posted.
• Sinks could be an infection source and you should avoid placing toothbrushes directly on counter surfaces. Totes can be used for personal items so they do not touch the bathroom countertop.

• Shopping for food & other household essentials
  • Stay home if sick.
  • Order online or use curbside pickup whenever possible.
  • Protect yourself while shopping by staying at least 6 feet away from others, cover your mouth and nose with a mask, use disinfecting wipes to disinfect the shopping cart.
  • Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
  • If possible, use touchless payment (pay without touching money, a card, or a keypad). If you must handle money, a card, or a keypad, use hand sanitizer right after paying.
  • Use hand sanitizer after leaving the store and wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds when you get home.
• Banking
  • Bank online whenever possible.  Use drive-through ATMs & use a disinfecting wipe to clean the keypad before using it. Use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol after fueling and wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds when you get home.
• Getting Gasoline
  • Use disinfecting wipes on handles or buttons before you touch them. Use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol after fueling and wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds when you get home.

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
• Take care of your body.
  • Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditateexternal icon.
  • Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
  • Exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep.
  • Avoid alcohol and drugsexternal icon.
• Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
• Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.