Preventing infection

ONE of the ways to protect ourselves from the COVID-19 is to keep ourselves and our surroundings clean. Alcohol and disinfectants are already hard to find in the market but we can find ways to safeguard our health in myriad ways especially in the workplace where people work in enclosed spaces. Illness can spread quickly in this kind of environment where many people touch office supplies or equipment all through the day. Even if there is a cleaning crew, there are items that we use every time that are not wiped clean regularly such as doorknobs, light switch, printer or copy machine, and the office phone. It would help if we clean our own tables and computers, especially the key pads and monitors. Cleaning and disinfecting things that we are often in contact with, whether at home or the office, prevent infectious diseases such as the dreaded COVID 19 from spreading. Cleaning by using soap and water is still better than slapping on Alcohol because proper hand washing removes dirt and germs effectively preventing the spread of infection. On social media, memes are doing the rounds, explaining how to properly wash hands for 20 minutes by singing radio jingles, the most popular of which is the ad for Cagayan Park View Hotel. In most malls, hotels and restaurants, soap and sanitizers are already provided in restrooms or at the lobby which were not generally the norm pre-COVID-19. We can hope this practice continues even after we have beaten the virus. Preventing infection means leading a healthy lifestyle, avoiding crowded places and keeping updated on the advisories issued by the local government and health authorities.