How the virus works: The Coronavirus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing.
This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are
infectious for about a week (on average) and everything that is associated with infected people
will be contaminated and potentially infectious. This virus only infects your lungs so the only
ways for the virus to infect you are:
- from an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth, or
- by touching your nose or mouth with your hands after you have touched an infected surface.
How to protect yourself and others:
1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches, elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline
dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip. Do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless
there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and public use doors.
4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle
and child seat in grocery carts.
5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based
hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where
other people have been.
6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home’s entrances AND in your car for
use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can’t immediately wash
your hands.
7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you
have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to
a week or more!
8) Use latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves when going shopping, using the gasoline pump,
and all other outside activity where you come in contact with contaminated areas.
Source: Dr. James Robb, MD FCAP