Hygiene rules stay same

LEVEL 3: KEEP YOUR DISTANCE AND DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE

How to keep safe in supermarkets and on public transport.

Lockdown is easing and schools are returning. But in some parts of the country, the coronavirus epidemic is escalating. It is an anxious time, and there are likely to be multiple waves of Covid-19 outbreaks over the next two years, unless a vaccine becomes available.

If we are to live our lives, there are no guarantees against infection. But it’s all about reducing risk to ourselves and others by not becoming infected over a very short period of time, which will overwhelm our healthcare services.

We must also protect the most vulnerable – the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions.

Things we can do to reduce the chance of becoming infected are not foolproof.

So, it is important to understand the chances of being infected remain but will be much less and the rate of spread of the virus will be slowed down.

There is no shame in being infected with any infectious disease, coronavirus included. It does not mean you have poor hygiene or have necessarily been careless.

And if you are infected, you can still take steps to reduce the risk of passing the virus on to other people.

Whenever you are outside your home, there are key steps you can take. These include:

Social distancing: Physically keeping a distance of 1.5 metres or more from other people reduces the chance of droplets containing virus from their breath or cough, being inhaled or landing on your skin and being

Hand hygiene: Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitiser reduces the chance of you inadvertently transferring the virus to your eyes, mouth and nose. Carry hand sanitiser and perform hand hygiene after touching items in public places.

Keep your hands away from your face: Learn not to touch your face.

Masking: A cloth mask will reduce the spread of virus from people who are infected. As 50% to 80% of people that are infected will not have any signs of an illness but can still transmit the virus, it’s important we all wear a cloth mask in public.

Make sure your mask is comfortable, covers your nose and mouth and is secure because you don’t want to touch it until you get home and take it off.

Do not lower it to speak to people. If you do touch the mask, wash your hands immediately.

Reduce infections supermarkets in

Plan your shop so you need to go less often.

Don’t touch lots of items. The days of testing the fruit and vegetables before buying are over for now.

If you need to cough or sneeze, turn your head away from others and products and do it into your elbow. When you get home, wash your hands and your mask.

In some supermarkets people are using full face visors instead of masks.

The problem with these is that breath condenses on the inside of the visors and can drip on to products. Universal masking is more appropriate.

Reduce your risk on public transport

Use public transport only when necessary. It is impossible to keep 1.5 metres away from people on taxis but at the same time, taxi drivers need to follow regulations about the number of passengers they carry.

Travel with windows open to dilute the amount of potential virus droplets inside the vehicle. That is not easy as we enter winter.

Sanitise your hands after receiving money. Avoid chatting to others, as virus contaminated droplets are released even when talking.

Mendelson is professor of infectious diseases and head of the division of infectious diseases and HIV medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital. Mehtar is an infection prevention and control specialist at Stellenbosch University and head of the IPC unit at Tygerberg Hospital. Shabir Madhi is professor of vaccinology at Wits. Geffen is GroundUp’s editor. – GroundUp

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