Quarantine: care to take when out on the street
Everyone is concerned about the coronavirus, which is completely natural. To help you prevent contagion, we have selected the best care to take when going out during the quarantine.
Read on to see all the best, many of which you may not even know!
1. Wear a mask
The first of the best tips for when you have to leave the house is the most obvious and that everyone knows: wear a mask. This is really essential to prevent you from spreading the coronavirus if you have it, as well as helping to prevent you from getting it.
When wearing a mask, your breath will be "pushed" back towards you, making sure that no one is exposed to the microorganisms that may be present in your nostrils or mouth. In addition, it will also filter the air that leaves (and enters), blocking external agents.
2. Clean up
Cleaning with gel alcohol is essential in quarantine, being one of the most important precautions to take when going out on the street. Whenever you leave, take a bottle of alcohol gel with you (remembering that the percentage of alcohol must be at least 60% to be effective against the coronavirus.
If you get a package from the supermarket, wash your hands. If you are going to use a stroller, sanitize the part that you have to touch, to ensure that it will not spread around the place.
When you get home, go straight to the bathroom and wash your hands with soap and water – for at least 20 seconds. Then, sanitize the door handles and everything you touched!
3. Don't bring your hand to your face
When you're out on the street, try to remember to never touch any part of your face, especially your eyes. They are a particularly vulnerable part, since the mask does not cover them and, if you do not wear glasses, they are completely exposed.
Even if you have just cleaned yourself with gel alcohol, it is best not to take any risks and not scratch your eyes or bite your nails. These may be habits you've had for a long time, but now, during quarantine, it's time to stop.
4. Keep your distance from others
Another precaution to take when going out on the street is that there is no physical proximity to anyone, keeping a distance of at least two meters. This is quite complicated to do, with many markets having tight aisles and elevators being small, but keep your distance whenever possible.
This is yet another way to help prevent getting – and spreading – the coronavirus. The more distance you have from others, the less chance you have of catching them when they sneeze.
5. Avoid public transport
We know how difficult it is to go anywhere without using public transport, be it buses, trains or subways. However, whenever possible avoid using them, as they tend to be a focus of crowding people, which increases the chance of catching the virus.
Prefer to use Uber, for example, no matter how expensive it is. On short trips it can be a viable alternative.
6. Avoid using money
Another precaution to take when going out on the street is not to use physical money, always preferring the use of cards. It is well known how dirty banknotes and coins are, and even more so now, one should avoid using them, both to prevent and not to spread.
After all, if you are infected and pay with a note, you will be contaminating anyone who touches it. Likewise, when you receive change you may be infected.
7. Take off your shoes when you return
We worry a lot about cleaning our hands and avoid contact with the face, but another very important part is taking off and cleaning your sneakers or shoes as soon as you get home, leaving them at your door.
This is because the coronavirus lives for up to three days on surfaces, depending on what it is. So, make sure that you will always wear a different shoe to go out than the one you will wear indoors, and NEVER walk with your shoes on the street in your home during this quarantine.
8. Separate the clothes you used on the street
As important as the previous one, another precaution to take when going out on the street is to always separate the clothes you used on the street, never mixing them with those that are already washed. If possible, wash them as soon as you arrive. If not, put it in a closed plastic bag.
In the worst case, separate them all in a cardboard box so that they can be washed as quickly as possible, but do not contaminate anything else.
9. Clean all accessories
Another really important thing to remember is to absolutely clean and sanitize all the accessories you used on your way out. For example, your cell phone, headphones, wallet and keys … everything you can use at home. Detail: also clean your glasses!
Of course, it is not possible to have a complete disinfection, but the reduction of risks is essential to avoid contagion by coronavirus during quarantine.
10. Take a shower as soon as you return
We end our list with something that can be quite inconvenient, depending on your habits. Bathing as soon as you get home is really ideal, to completely clean your body of any viruses you may have on your skin.
If this is not possible, changing clothes, washing your hands, arms, face and any exposed skin should be sufficient to mitigate the risks.
Did you like our recommendations for care when going out?
Leave in the comments if any were new to you or if you already knew them all. Don't forget to also check out our guide on how to sanitize your smartphone and the best ideas for making money at home during quarantine!