Best Hygiene Practices for the Post Covid-19 Normal
COVID-19 has proven to be the deadliest and most widespread pandemic in recorded history. India remained under lockdown for well over two months, but now the country is slowly recovering from the commercial and social impact of the disease. Economic activities, transportation, and public movement have been eased to a great extent. However, the risk of infection hasn’t reduced yet. The pandemic is still raging in the most affected areas with several thousand new cases being reported daily. In the absence of a credible vaccine or therapy, prevention is the only effective cure in the battle against the virus. There are several protocols and hygiene practices, lifestyle changes that have now become integral to life in the wake of the pandemic.
Why hygiene matters
The WHO has been emphasizing on the importance of hygiene and sanitation for many years now. Among the most fatal diseases, especially in children below 5 years of age, hygiene-related illnesses reign supreme. Viral infections, dengue, malaria and numerous other microbial infections such as diarrhea and pneumonia kill a large number of people every year. The Government of India has also paid a lot of attention to this area and various campaigns like Swachh Bharat etc. have been launched to address the issue of hygiene. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 is now set to significantly change the concept of cleanliness and sanitation in India. According to a study, hygiene practices can reduce the risk of microbial infections by as much as 50%. This assumes even greater significance in the efforts to protect ourselves from COVID-19.
Post COVID-19 hygiene practices
The hygiene practices that we need to follow in the post-pandemic world can be segregated into personal hygiene and that of our surroundings. Simple and effective steps can not only keep you protected from the coronavirus but, also help in protecting your family and contacts.
Personal hygiene: The most important element of personal hygiene practices is strict adherence to hand hygiene guidelines. COVID-19 is known to spread when a healthy person touches an infected surface and then touches his eyes, nose, or mouth with the contaminated hands. One must also strictly avoid sneezing or coughing into the palms. If a handkerchief or cloth is not handy then mouth or nose should be covered with an elbow, but, not the palms. This helps avoid the spread of microbes through touch.
Hand washing: There is a need to frequently wash hands to keep them free from viruses and other germs. Hands should be thoroughly washed for 20-30 seconds with soap and water especially before eating food, touching common-use surfaces, or on coming home from outside. In case it is not possible to use soap and water then a good-quality hand sanitizer with high alcohol content can also be highly effective. Hands should be rubbed thoroughly until the skin soaks the sanitizer. However, if your hands have grime or dirt on them then you should use soap and water to wash them. Contrary to what some people believe, washing hands with cold or warm water is equally effective as long as soap is used to wash them thoroughly.
Home hygiene: Keeping your home and surroundings disinfected is very important. When one returns home from outside, it is important to leave the footwear outside and wash hands before touching anything. Research has revealed that the Covid-19 virus is most likely to be transmitted through contaminated hands and shoe soles.
Disinfecting: Even when a person observes personal hygiene, he might still end up carrying the virus by touching common-use surfaces such as door handles, chairs, handrails, table tops, taps, switches, buttons, and gadgets etc. There are high-quality surface disinfectant sprays available in the market that can be used to quickly and effectively eliminate microbial presence on them. Usage of such disinfectant sprays is rapidly going to rise in the post- COVID-19 world.
Mask it: There is yet no clarity about the survival duration of COVID-19 on different surfaces such as clothes, plastics, or metals. It is generally believed that the longevity of the virus could range from a few hours on fabric to several days on some metallic surfaces. Hence, it is important to put on fresh clothes after coming home from outside, wearing protective face masks, and gloves and maintaining social distancing protocols.
The emphasis now more than ever is on ensuring that every possible precaution is taken to maintain the utmost hygiene and preventing the coronavirus from entering our living spaces. A little extra care can go a long way in also avoiding transmission of the virus from one person to another. It is imperative to follow protocols and ensure that we stay safe.
