Tips to keep COVID-19 at bay
By igloohome | 24 March 2020
Unless you've went off the grid, everyone is now aware of the global pandemic - novel Coronavirus that's been spreading like wildfire. We're living in challenging times now and believe that everyone has a part to play in keeping not just yourself, but the community, safe.
Besides the widely-advocated measures of frequently washing your hands and social distancing, we at igloohome are practicing these safety precautions to reduce the spread of the virus:
Disclaimer: While we're no medical experts, we gathered these safety precautions and tips that were shared by World Health Organisation and healthcare practitioners.
Surgical masks
Health experts have announced that healthy individuals need not wear masks, but for those who are feeling slightly under the weather, it is recommended that you don them on when in public areas.
Tips for you:
Don't wear your mask for more than 8 hours.
Remove mask from ear loops to prevent getting any semblance of the virus onto your hands.
Coloured side of the mask to face outwards. Wearing it wrongly will reduce its effectiveness.
Here's an informative article by World's Health Organisation on how to properly wear and remove your mask.
Touching common objects
This includes lift buttons, door handles, grab poles on public transport, escalators and more. These commonly touched objects are seldom, if never, cleaned. You'll never know where you could come in contact with the virus so it's better to be safe than sorry.
Research has shown that bacteria levels on a lift button are up to 40 times higher than that of a public toilet seat. Yikes!
Tips for you:
Use tissues whenever you can when coming into contact with these objects.
Not to touch your face after touching these objects.
Use a toothpick, pen or cotton buds to press buttons in a lift.
Clean your devices
Amidst the chaos, sometimes we forget that the things closest to us are the biggest threats. We commonly overlook the amount of germs that accumulate on our electronic devices. Smartphones, laptops, iPads, even your remote controls are often not disinfected.
Currently, there's still uncertainty on how long the virus can survive on a hard surface.
Tips for you:
Always disinfect your mobile phone.
Use disinfectants and sanitisers with at least 70% alcohol to break dow the virus' structure.
Contactless... everything!
During this period, online delivery platforms are increasingly gaining traction. As we practice social distancing, platforms like Deliveroo and Glovo have switched to contactless delivery. Meals and parcels are dropped off at doorsteps to reduce human contact.
At igloohome, we're seeing the rise of Bluetooth keys being issued. We're sending Bluetooth keys to family members and friends should they require access to our homes. There's no need to exchange keys or have them key in a PIN code on the lock, they simply tap on their phones to unlock the door when they're within Bluetooth range.
Tips for you:
Limit the amount of time you spend outside of your home.
Always sanitise your hands when you come into contact with commonly touched objects.
Changing your perspective
Perhaps the most important piece of advice we've received is to simply change one's perspective of how to act in the face of a global pandemic:
The general public shouldn't act like they're afraid of contracting the virus, but instead act like someone who's already contracted it and actively try to not spread it to others. - Prof. Graham Medley, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Let's play our part in keeping everyone safe.