Containing the Virus at Home-Part 3
This is part THREE in a series of posts regarding suggestions for limiting the spread and likelihood of contracting the covid-19 virus.
As a Registered Nurse and Clinical Consultant to hospitals and Nursing Homes, I have been trying to determine what I can do to be of help during the current pandemic. One way I think I can be of help is to share with you what my family and I are doing in our home to contain this virus. The following are in no way meant to replace the advice of the foremost experts from the CDC. They are simply what we are doing and are meant to be a starting point for discussion. Always follow the CDC guidelines here: https://www.cdc.gov/ as they are the experts on infectious diseases.
In this series of posts I will take an area of the home and share the precautions my family and I are currently taking to reduce the likelihood of viral spread.
Here is a list of areas to be covered:
Entry to home (covered in previous post March 19, 2020)
?Kitchen (covered in previous post March 19, 2020)
Bathrooms (covered in previous post March 20, 2020)
Bedrooms
Common Areas
Laundry Room/Area
Keep in mind that despite the fact that family members may not be showing signs or symptoms of the virus, they may still be contagious. Therefore it is important to ensure we all observe infection control measures.
Here are recommendations for the Common Areas of the home: The common areas are spaces that we all share together within the home.
- Using Lysol spray or a 1:10 bleach solution, clean all common touch areas daily. These include but are not limited to: door knobs, light switches, hand rails, faucet handles, remote controls, refrigerator handles, cupboard handles, drain boards, stove/oven/microwave knobs, etc.
- Dispose of all contaminated tissues in a closed receptacle or flush in toilet immediately after use. Do not place in pocket or sleeve. Use hand sanitizer after disposing.
- Always use a “clean to dirty” method of infection control. When touching anything, start with what is “clean” and move to the “dirty”. Then wash hands.
- Remove shoes when entering home and clean floors using bleach 1:10 dilution or another safe disinfecting cleaner.
These are the things we are doing in our home to prevent infection and do our part to prevent the spread of this virus. Let me know your thoughts and any other things you are doing to prevent spread.
Be safe, use science and logic and stay smart and consistent.
Roberta