■ INSIDE: We give you answers to some of the most asked questions, such as “Should I wear eye protection to further reduce my risk of infection?” and more.

Here are answers to some commonly-asked questions about making social choices during the coronavirus pandemic:

Should I make my own hand sanitizer if I can’t find any at the store? The Centers for Disease Control recommends washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using alcoholbased hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol when soap and water are not available. But as far as making your own hand sanitizer goes, the CDC says no. Because it is difficult to correctly use ingredients, the organization discourages the production and use of homemade hand sanitizer products. When washing hands, you can use plain soap or antibacterial soap. Plain soap is as effective as antibacterial soap at removing germs.

To make sure the sanitizer you are using contains at least 60% alcohol, look at the product label. And you should not use hand sanitizer as a disinfectant for frequently touched surfaces and objects. To disinfect, most common EPA-registered household disinfectants will work. If those areas (such as tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks) are dirty, clean them with detergent or soap and water before you disinfect them. You can check out CDC’s recommendations for household cleaning and disinfection for more information.

Why does the Florida Department of Health choose not to report the number of Floridians who have recovered from the virus? The number of recovered cases is a bit of a tricky statistic.

Here is the state Department of Health’s explanation (from its website) for why it’s not reporting recovered case:

“We do not currently measure ‘recovery,’ and don’t expect to have such a designation anytime in the near future. Recovery can mean a lot of things — some countries say you’re recovered 14 days from infection even if you are still sick, or even dead, based on a computer algorithm that calculates the amount of time passed since a case is first reported.

“The very definition of recovery is a contested issue — are you recovered once you’re no longer symptomatic, or contagious, once you get a negative test result, or no longer require hospitalization? Are you ever ‘recovered’ if you suffer longterm effects from having the virus? Until some of these issues and definitions are worked out at the local, state and national level, we will not be providing a metric for recovery.”

To add some context, the CDC is being extremely careful about how to determine if someone has recovered. Basically, the CDC requires that medical and testing criteria be met before a person is officially declared to have recovered from COVID-19.

From a medical standpoint, someone must be fever-free for three straight days. The caveat is that a person must not come with aid of fever-reducing medications, i.e. Tylenol or Motrin. A person also must show an improvement in their other symptoms, such as less coughing and shortness of breath. Finally, it must be at least seven days since the symptoms began.

In addition to those requirements, the CDC guidelines stipulate that a person must test negative for the coronavirus twice, with the tests taken at least 24 hours apart. Only then, if both the symptom and testing conditions are met, is a person officially considered recovered by the CDC, according to Tom Duszynski, the director of epidemiology education at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

The second testing requirement is likely why there were so few official recovered cases in the U.S. until late March, Duszynski wrote in an article for theconversation.com. He said the initial shortage in testing in the U.S. likely explains that while people certainly were recovering, the numbers could not be officially confirmed. The focus, he argues, remains on testing those who are infected rather than those who likely have recovered.

Should I wear eye protection to further reduce my risk of infection? At this point, the Centers for Disease Control has not made any recommendations concerning eyewear for the general public. Libby Richards, an associate professor at the Purdue University School of Nursing who teaches courses on population health, said that may change.

“Currently the CDC is only recommending protective eye wear for healthcare workers,” she wrote in an email to the Sentinel. “However, we may see that recommendation change. For now, the recommendations are to practice social distancing, wear a cloth facemask when necessary, keep your hands clean and avoid touching your face [including your eyes].”

The American Academy of Ophthalmology reminds people that while you are most likely to inhale virus particles through your mouse or nose if you’re near someone who’s coughed or sneezed, the droplets also can enter through your eyes. In addition, the group points out that simply touching something that has the virus on it — like a table or doorknob — and then touching your eyes can lead to an infection.

“It’s important to remember that although there is a lot of concern about coronavirus, common sense precautions can significantly reduce your risk of getting infected. So wash your hands a lot, follow good contact lens hygiene and avoid touching or rubbing your nose, mouth and especially your eyes,” ophthalmologist and academy spokesperson Dr. Sonal Tuli wrote on the group’s website.

Would freezing a paper mask after use kill the potential virus and make it usable again? What about putting it in a microwave? Richards said paper face masks — not the N95 variety — are not intended for reuse and trying to “clean” them will compromise their effectiveness at preventing the spread of the virus.

“These masks are considered disposable for a reason. However, given our reality of lack of availability of face masks, if you have a homemade cloth mask, you can wash it in hot water and put it in the dryer on high to disinfect it as much as possible,” she said. “I think microwaves are a bad idea as paper masks could burn or cause a fire. Freezing masks may not kill the virus but rather just make the virus dormant.

“I don’t have good scientific backing to support either of these practices. We do have some data that the virus doesn’t survive on surfaces such as mask beyond three days. It may be most effective to either have three different masks that are rotated each day or to wait three days before reusing a mask. Current recommendations are to put the used mask in a paper bag until you are ready to use it again.”

When I wipe down products I purchased at the store, is it OK to use the same wipe to clean everything? Richards: “A wipe should only be used for one occasion — so as long as the wipe is still moist, it is OK to use it to wipe down all store-bought products. In reality, one wipe is not going to get someone through a typical grocery purchase. It’s also important to point out that one wipe should not be used all around the house because germs can also be spread on wipes that are drying out.”