People are asking me whether Seattle is over-reacting to the COVID-19 paranoia. With one patient critically ill in our ICU, the worry about disease transmission is palpable amongst my coworkers. Even if you're not in a high-risk group (elderly, frail) you can serve as a vector (carrier) if you don't follow these simple steps.
Hand washing and disinfectants are far more important than wearing face masks - the only useful thing about face masks is they remind you not to touch your face when out in public.
You don't have to descend into a bunker or retreat to the mountains, but some common sense about handwashing and disinfectants is worthwhile. This would apply during any flu season, but is particularly relevant with this virus with its moderate contagiousness and higher-than-typical-flu case fatality rate.
Sing "Happy Birthday" twice while you wash your hands to ensure you have soap on there long enough.
We all do a very poor job of washing our hands adequately. Make sure to turn the tap off with a paper towel, not your hands. (This is probably the most common mistake.)
I'm sure you're doing this already, but having disposable gloves and using Lysol wipes on surfaces you touch throughout the day is worthwhile during the pandemic. The following link is useful to read about disinfectants. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/cleaning-disinfection.htm
(Cloth and plastic surfaces hold virus perhaps 100 times longer than the bare metal surfaces that everyone worries about on public transport... https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-surfaces-explainer/explainer-how-long-can-coronavirus-survive-on-surfaces-idUSKCN20M3BK )
An ENT colleague who worries a lot had the following recommendations.
Consider putting your keys, your glasses, the stuff in your pockets in a simple home UV sterilizer when you get home each day. It might be overkill, but it's a simple way to make sure these frequently-touched "fomites" (surfaces that can transmit disease) are thoroughly clean.
Home UV-C sterilizer, $99
Consider putting your keys, your glasses, the stuff in your pockets in a simple home UV sterilizer when you get home each day. It might be overkill, but it's a simple way to make sure these frequently-touched "fomites" (surfaces that can transmit disease) are thoroughly clean.
Home UV-C sterilizer, $99
HoMedics UV-Clean Portable Sanitizer, Grey https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZQKVBPP/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_65tzEbBWKXNAE
Stay safe out there!
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