If you still think the Coronavirus isn’t real, I’ll tell you now, it is. It’s real, it’s here, it’s getting people sick, and some are even dying. In the United States, the Coronavirus curve is nowhere near flattening… at least not yet.
Worldwide, there still isn’t a vaccine that will make you immune to this virus. I’ve said it in my previous article that pharmaceutical industries have been trying to develop a Coronavirus family (MERS & SARS) vaccine since the 1930s to no success.
With this, how can you keep the Coronavirus from entering your household and place of business? Our best bet now is to adapt Coronavirus prevention strategies to the places where you frequent your stay – home and work.
How can you keep your home safe from the Coronavirus
Most people are staying indoors during this pandemic. Still, you can’t prevent that at least one person in your household needs to go out to buy food supplies or go to work. If it’s necessary, it’s okay to go out. Just make sure you don’t bring the Coronavirus with you at home.
Here are three tips to keep your home safe from the Coronavirus:
1. Put a disinfection mat on your doorstep
For as low as $30 – 50, you can buy a disinfection or sanitation mat online or your local department store.
Disinfection mats often include a rubber base mat and reversible inserts that sanitize your shoes through the sanitization solution inside the mat.
Some mats come in pairs – one is a PVC scrubbing pad that removes the dirt and grim on your footwear, and the second mat does the disinfection.
For a small investment, you make sure that you don’t bring in the germs you potentially stepped on inside your home.
2. Sanitize your groceries and shopping bags upon entry
It’s unlikely that people can catch COVID19 from food. Plus, a package that has been exposed to different conditions and temperatures during travel has a low risk of spreading the virus.
Still, you want to make sure that everything is 100% safe from viruses that can potentially affect your household. Take note that studies have shown that the COVID-19 virus can survive for up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel and less than 24 hours on cardboard.
What you can do is to have a sanitizing station near your main door. An accessible sanitization area enables you to quickly sanitize all grocery bags and packages that come from the outside.
A friend of mine organized his sanitation area to have two baskets. He puts his groceries in the first basket, then transfers the sanitized goods to the second one basket. After everything has been sanitized, he moves the 2nd basket to the kitchen where the products are ready to be organized.
3. Take a shower as soon as you arrive home & put your clothes in the laundry
As soon as you arrive home and finish the initial sanitation methods, take a shower. It’s your best bet to wash away the virus lingering on your skin.
Also, don’t keep your dirty clothes on the floor or other surfaces. Put them immediately in the laundry using the warmest appropriate water setting. Warm water ultimately kills the virus should there be any on your clothes.
How can you keep your workplace safe from the Coronavirus
If you must make your employees go to your place of business, you must properly prepare it for precautionary measures and observing social distancing protocols. You can also have a dedicated provider who can do Coronavirus remediation for your place of work on a timely basis.
Most companies are requiring their employees to take a test before going back to work. Especially if they came in contact with any positive patient or they are feeling any symptoms related to COVID-19.
Testing is accessible even if results take longer to receive now. In the instance that they tested positive, after their 14-day self-quarantine, they need to have 2 negative tests in a row. Why? Because the first one might have been a false negative.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to triple-check if your staff are healthy to work each day. Here are three actions you can do to keep your workplace safe from COVID-19:
1. Screen all employees’ temperature before entering
Most buildings and malls now have an automatic scanner that determines if a person entering is “too warm.”
If your workplace doesn’t have an automatic temperature scanner, you can ask your security personnel to manually check each person entering your place of business. He can do a temperature check using a digital thermometer.
100.6°F is considered a fever. If a person entering your workplace has a temperature of 100.6°F and above, it’s best to send that person home and put him or her under observation.
2. Keep sanitation areas accessible to all
Besides putting visual markers that help people observe social distancing, make sanitation accessible for your employees and customers.
You can put disinfection mats on all entry points of your workplace so people entering can disinfect their footwear on the get-go. Plus, make sanitizers such as alcohol accessible in every corner.
All surfaces that are pertinent to touch, such as elevator buttons and door handles should be sanitized by your sanitation team at least every hour.
3. Sign health declaration forms for easier contact tracing
If your workplace involves customers going in and out of your building, it’s best if you have them sign health declaration forms upon entry. Or, you could have a QR code set up beside it for people who prefer contactless methods. This QR code will lead to a form where they can declare they are not feeling any symptoms related to COVID-19.
Having these health forms accessible by your business can help you, should it encounter a positive COVID-19 patient. It could speed up contact tracing, making it easier and safer for everyone.
The Need for Coronavirus Prevention
As I mentioned earlier in the article, the Coronavirus is real, and you should take it seriously. Keeping your home and workplace safe from it helps the country to flatten the curve.
Contact the best environmental remediation service company today for more tips on how to stay Corona-free!
Richard Cameron is the CEO of Protect Environmental Services.
Protect Environmental Services, Inc. (PESI) is your best-in-class “clutch” performer when you need a First Responder. PESI tackle & remediate the most dangerous chemical spills & removal of hazardous waste. In fact, our pursuit of safety & rapid response for environmental sustainability surpasses ALL other environmental service companies. PESI has been rapidly responding to emergency environmental calls in North Central Texas since 1996.
Richard is also a published author of the “Ebola Response Procedures.” Additionally, he is considered an expert witness to many litigation and mediation cases. He works with multiple law enforcement agencies in forensics to hunt down illegal dumping perpetrators.