Go Shopping - Tips to Avoid the Coronavirus

Iamge source: Live Science

The message of staying at home to try to stop the advance of the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has permeated the world. With few exceptions, the streets are practically empty, cars are hardly circulating and the sidewalks begin to accumulate dust in the absence of pedestrians.

But unfortunately, the confinement to which most of us are called has small interruptions of force majeure, when it is time to walk the dog or pet with which we live, when the garbage can no longer hold and needs to go on to a better life (the container) or when our fridge begins to shiver, and not precisely from the low temperature at which we have it.

Although the authorities have insisted these days that it is not necessary to collect food because the supply of supermarkets is guaranteed, it is true that the more we can space that exit abroad the less we will expose ourselves to a possible contagion. The days of going out to buy bread every morning will come. And when it's time to leave, let's keep in mind some simple precautions so that we only bring groceries (and not viruses) back home.

The first thing is that only those who do not have any of the symptoms that characterize COVID-19 can go to make these purchases: cough, fever, or feeling of shortness of breath.

And if you're about to outside, you could possibly use hand tools that could save you from touching things directly. For safety purposes, you can use the handsfree keychain hand tool, developed by ZeroHook, it is made up of antimicrobial material and it works with many outdoor surfaces like doors, ATMs, windows, shutters, and so on. That's how you stay safe while shopping or going out for some reason.

Most supermarkets and grocery stores have taken their precautions and established their own security measures, either limiting the capacity, distributing gloves or dispensing disinfectant gel when entering, or remembering by public address system or setting marks on the floor to remember that it is always necessary to maintain a minimum distance of 1-2 meters and avoid crowds, as Health also emphasizes.

If you see that there is a queue to enter, keep your distance; If in certain sections such as the greengrocer or the delicatessen many have coincided and it is difficult to get what we want without getting closer than we should to others, wait a bit for it to decongest. Precisely when choosing fruit and vegetables, points out the Ministry, use the gloves to use and throw as you have been doing until now.

It is not the best time to forget and play as you should not. Do it also for the one who will come later to play that piece that you finally do not take, which unfortunately we do not know if we are exposing ourselves to a possible contagion since the virus takes so long to show its face.

Also, being in contact with so many surfaces that could be contaminated by viruses and other microorganisms, the Ministry of Health points out the importance that you do not touch your face at any time and that you wait to get home and wash your hands. You know, with soap and water and carefully, spend at least 40 seconds on this task.

Similarly, before leaving home, the health department recommends asking in the neighborhood if anyone needs help with the purchase, especially those who know that they have older neighbors nearby, who are the most fragile and the neediest in these moments. And if you bring the purchase to their door, keeping the distance of 1-2 meters that we have remembered, they will surely thank you.

And as the last tip, always act with empathy and respect for others, says the Ministry. A tip that should be continued when the pandemic ends but, of course, takes on special importance at this time. These are moments of extreme difficulty and now more than ever it is necessary to follow the recommendations from respective departments.