STAYING SAFE
Basic Safety Tips
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Wash your hands often with soap & water for at least 25 seconds.
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Wear a face mask before leaving the house. For an easy face mask tutorial, click here.
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Keep from touching your face. This is one of the most common methods of transmission for COVID-19.
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Maintain a safe social distance from others at all times (at least 6 feet apart, if not more).
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If soap & water is not available, use hand sanitizer. Check the label on the back to make sure that it is at least 60% alcohol.
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If you or a loved one regularly require some type of prescription medicine, ask your healthcare provider and your pharmacist to see if it's possible to stock up on medication in case it is necessary to isolate at home for an extended period of time
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Disinfect surfaces often & throw all clothes in the laundry immediately following a trip outside.
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If you come into contact with a COVID-19 patient, immediately begin self-isolating at home for at least 2 weeks. If you experience any cold/fever/flu-like symptoms, immediately contact a healthcare professional for further advice.
Disinfecting Surfaces
The COVID-19 virus can live for days on a single surface following contact from an infected person. However, the length of time the coronavirus can survive without a human host on various surfaces varies depending on the material. Here's a list of some common surfaces along with information on how long the virus can survive on it following first exposure.
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Metal: 5 days
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Plastics: 2-3 days
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Wood: 4 days
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Cardboard: 1 day
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Aluminum: 2-8 hours
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Stainless Steel: 2-3 days
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Copper: 4 hours
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Ceramics: 5 days
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Glass: up to 5 days
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Paper: up to 5 days
Face Masks
One of the best ways to protect yourself at this time is to wear a face mask. Not only does it help protect you from contracting the virus, but it also prevents both symptomatic & asymptomatic carriers of the virus from accidentally spreading the disease further. While the heavy-duty medical-grade masks should preferably be left for hospitals & other health professionals to use, there are plenty of DIY inexpensive & effective alternatives still available.
Click here for CDC-approved instructions for face masks you can make at home.