Maintaining hygiene in public places

Brace yourselves for a second wave is coming, numbers are adding up and unseen danger tightens its trap around the misinformed

Daunting as it may seem, maintaining hygiene is not that a difficult task. With growing number of COVID cases in Europe, the World prepares itself for a second wave. There are a thousand things that now need to be focused on, as safety of all is now linked to the safety of one. Practicing good hygiene has been termed as the best defense that one can have against this virus, yet still a large portion of the population turns a deaf ear to advice given by authorities.

However challenging it may appear, we can still stop the spread of this disease and other germs and bacteria that spread through cross contamination by only practicing good hand hygiene. As centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) recommends, washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water will ultimately kill germs on your hands and protect you and your family from microorganisms waiting to prey on your health.

Not a thing to let go of…

Most of us will let this thing slide by easily but change in temperature contributes fairly to the proliferation of different germs and spread of multiple diseases. Winter season is nearly upon us and with it comes greater susceptibility to fall ill. In order to avoid the soreness and tenderness that comes with diseases, you don’t need to sit on the fence when it comes to maintaining hygiene - Rapid and apt decisions will help you get out of shallow waters in no time.

Plain, old fashioned advice

It isn’t like there is a bible of rules telling about taking good hygiene measures and strict guidelines. This is just some good old fashioned advice that you need to follow. Whenever you are heading out, keep a pair of antibacterial hand wipes with you.

Anticipation is a good thing but it’s not hard cold facts and just like any other guess it has its own probability. You wouldn’t want to take any chances with your health, would you? Carrying these antiseptic hand wipes would make you less vulnerable to getting ill by helping you immediately wipe off objects before you use them.

While going out

Whenever you are using public transport or any public restroom, make sure that you are wiping the area with disinfecting wipes prior to use. You need to keep a keen eye on surfaces which might harbor germs such as washroom taps, door handles and knobs, and of course if you are travelling by subway, then that subway pole. Yeah, you might be more interested in pole grips but cleaning always comes before gripping.

Some basic manners

Practicing a good hygiene routine is not more than adopting some basic manners pertinent to carrying yourself in pubic. Make sure to cover up your nose and mouth with hands or with a tissue if available, while coughing or sneezing. Wash your hands right after you have covered your cough or sneeze. If you don’t have soap and water, then try using the best hand sanitizer available as approved by environmental protection agency (EPA).

If you have used a tissue to cover your sneeze then don’t stuff that tissue back in your bag, just throw it away in a covered dustbin or basket. Storing it for reuse might only contaminate your bag and add to your problems later on. However, the best way would be to sneeze in your upper sleeve, thereby reducing the spread of micro-droplets.

Equip yourself

If possible, try carrying antibacterial spray with you and while in public, spray on surfaces that you are going to come in contact with. Let it sit for a while then wipe it off with a cloth or tissue that you can easily carry. There are a multitude of microorganisms sitting on such surfaces and disinfecting before using the surface can act as the ultimate protection you are looking for.

You can also carry alcohol swabs with you, one that contain at least 70% alcohol in it. Wiping your phone, bands, and other objects that you might use in public will protect you from invading viruses and bacteria. Using soap and water mixture is not advisable on electronic objects as it might corrupt or even fry them.

When you are eating out, do your homework prior to visiting that eatery – you might find reviews that could change your mind. You should make no compromises when it comes to hygiene and therefore you need to scan the plate ware and table ware, all for stains and marks.  

Apart from this, shaking hands never goes out of fashion while greeting one another but for those suffering from cold and flu, exception should be made. If you are the one who is ill, then excuse yourself politely without making the other person feel bad and if handshake is unavoidable then use a Dettol hand sanitizer discreetly.