As the COVID-19 pandemic continuously causes devastation to countless lives in all parts of the world, each of us has the responsibility to do our part to curb the spread of the disease. We have to go the extra mile and do our part to keep our health as well as the people around us safe. The first thing we have to start with is practising proper personal hygiene.
The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) disease can be transmitted through direct contact with droplets coming from an infected person. The droplets can come from sneezing or coughing. One thing that you should take note of is the virus can survive for hours or days on inanimate objects like tables, doorknobs, and furniture. That is how important developing proper personal hygiene and giving priority to home sanitation are.
Here are 7 personal hygiene tips that you should religiously practise during the COVID-19 era.
7 Personal Hygiene Practices
1. Wash Your Hands and Body Regularly
At the top of the list are hand washing and bathing regularly. You should always wash your hands before and after using them on whatever activity you’re in. Whether you touched a doorknob or when you’re about to eat, spend some time washing your hands. Spend at least 20 seconds to two minutes thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water.
Taking a bath regularly is also very important. You can wash away disease-carrying viruses and bacteria when you wash your body. Bathing is a very effective way in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
2. Always Use Hand Sanitiser and Disinfectant Wipes
Make it a habit to keep a hand sanitiser nearby. Of course, you have to use it frequently, especially when you’re touching surfaces shared with other people. There are just situations where we can’t avoid or are unconsciously touching things that are also used by the public.
Common items that you share with the public include:
- Elevator buttons
- Grocery carts
- Door handles
- Gas pumps
- Railings
- Tables and Chairs
Disinfectant wipes are also useful in killing viruses and germs. Read the label on which brand of wipes will do the trick. Remember that the COVID-19 disease is caused by a virus; so antibacterial wipes can’t kill it.
Wipe the surfaces of such objects before touching them. Don’t forget to dispose of the disinfectant wipes properly after use.
Make sure that your sanitiser has at least 60% alcohol to be able to kill harmful microorganisms. Always have a bottle of hand sanitiser and a pack of disinfectant wipes in your bag, in the car, and at home.
3. Change Your Clothes Every Time You Return Home
Germs and viruses cling to our clothes as much as to our bodies. Always change your clothes whenever you come home after doing groceries or any outdoor activity. You can set some rules with your family like not sitting on the furniture or any place in the house unless they change their clothes.
Make it a practice to change your clothes twice a day especially after breaking some sweat. It’s a very good way to keep your body clean and germ-free. Wash the soiled clothes immediately.
4. Do Regular Exercise
Some people may be wondering about the relationship between doing regular exercise and getting sick with COVID-19. The truth is actually a game-changer. Exercising regularly strengthens the immune system and protects you from easily getting sick.
A daily dose of brisk walking or jogging can be beneficial for you in the long run. You can also do aerobics at home if it’s your thing. Just make sure to follow the precautionary measures implemented by the Australian Centre for Disease Control.
Avoid exercising in crowded places when you like doing your activity outdoors. Don’t forget to wear your face mask when you’re on your nature walk and there are other people around. Lastly, never forget to clean yourself after every exercise session.
5. Get Adequate Rest and Sleep
Having adequate rest and sleep have great benefits to our bodies overall. Sleeping 6-8 hours a day has profound benefits to our bodies. Getting enough rest and sleep will replenish our spent energy as well as recharge our organ systems.
Our immune system, specifically, greatly benefits when we have enough rest and sleep. A robust immune system will protect us from getting sick after exposure to viruses. Our bodies can also recover quickly from illnesses and diseases.
6. Avoid Stress
The lockdowns, the anxiety, and the fear brought about by the Coronavirus can take a toll on anyone. However, maintaining a positive mindset and establishing strong coping mechanisms is very important, particularly in times like this. Stress should be avoided at all costs.
You can avoid stress and its effects by establishing a productive routine of exercise, a healthy diet, sleep, and maintaining social contact with loved ones and friends (at a safe distance, of course). We may be in the middle of a pandemic but it’s not the end of the world.
Personal hygiene is not all about the physical activities that you should maintain to keep yourself healthy and fit. It also involves the state of the mind and emotions that you currently have. Having great hygiene is the reflection of one’s state of mind (mental health). You can’t properly take care of yourself if your mind is under stress and turmoil.
7. Do Regular Home Cleaning
Taking good care of your home is as important as taking care of your own body. Regular home cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces should be always part of your daily routine. You can create your own schedule in which you’ll be allocating time to clean one part of the house on a daily basis.
Here are some home cleaning tips to remember:
- Clean the surfaces thoroughly before disinfecting.
- Let the surface dry after applying disinfectant.
- Thoroughly wash disinfected items like toys and surfaces that can come in contact with food.
- Clean and disinfect items that always come in contact with your hands. E.g your phone.
- Dispose of the used disinfectant wipes properly after use.
- Keep the products used in cleaning and disinfecting away from children.
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