Now is the time to brush up on some of your early pandemic practices

Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic most of our hands were raw from obsessive washing, and social distancing meant holing up in your home and facetiming friends.

However, as many shelter-in-place orders have been lifted and businesses are reopening, you may be yearning to get out and get back to some of those pre-pandemic routines. 

That doesn’t mean you should ditch some of the precautions that were practiced early on. The recent spike in COVID-19 cases in several states is evidence of that. The pandemic is by no means over, and without taking precautions or by laxing on precautions, we only lengthen it.

So, if these practices haven’t been top of mind lately, here’s a reminder on how to protect yourself and others:

1. Wash your hands. Pandemic or not, this is a good practice, and one you shouldn’t ditch ever. The CDC recommends washing your hands for at least 20 seconds. If you’re tired of singing that birthday song, here are some other 20-second tunes to add to your mental playlist. When you can’t wash your hands, be sure to keep hand sanitizer with you to use before and after you enter places. 
2. Monitor your health daily. When we were first introduced to COVID-19, it was thought to be mainly a respiratory virus characterized with a dry cough. Now we know there are a wide variety of symptoms. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, stay home.
3. Social distance. We also know now that this virus is likely transferred person-to-person through respiratory droplets from sneezing, coughing or talking. If you’re out, keep the recommended 6-foot distance, even if you or the person you’re talking with doesn’t have symptoms.
4. Wear a mask. If you can’t social distance, wear a mask that covers both your mouth and nose. As mentioned previously, not all who contract this virus will exhibit symptoms, so as the CDC says, the mask you’re wearing is meant to protect others in case you are infected.

Everyone is a little fatigued with the COVID-19 pandemic, but we can’t let our guards down just yet. The more we follow precautions such as these, the sooner we can come out of it, and hopefully, return to something that resembles normal.

The content of this site is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding any medical conditions or treatments.