How to protect yourself from the coronavirus at home? This is how contagions are avoided

• Direct Last minute on the coronavirus

Even at home we cannot feel completely safe from

infection

.

According to the latest weekly monitoring of the control room of the Ministry of Health, the Italian Higher Institute of Health "the local transmission of the virus, spread throughout the country, causes outbreaks, even of considerable size, especially reported in the home / family" .

A situation very similar to that registered in Spain.

However, it is impossible to

, sig

Using a series of rules to reduce the probability of infection.

Protect yourself on the street

Preventing contagion in the home begins long before you walk through the front door.

Crowded places should be avoided.

The mask should always be worn and used even outdoors

, covering both the nose and the mouth, if it is not possible to continuously maintain the safety distance.

Hands should be sanitized frequently and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as much as possible.

Keeping the virus out of your door

Returning home is a good idea

take off shoes

.

A suggestion that should be applied not only against the

coronavirus

because in this way microorganisms are prevented from entering the home.

As for clothes, coats, t-shirts, unless you have frequented high-risk environments (hospitals, nursing homes) it is not necessary to wash everything on your return.

Jackets and coats should be placed on a hanger (not on the sofa and bed).

Hands should be thoroughly washed immediately.

Homemade dinners with few guests

The latest recommendations and regulations ask to avoid parties at home and not receive more than six or 10 people depending on the region.

In Italy only six maximum.

In front of friends and acquaintances, it is easy to lower your guard

.

In the case of guests, it is advisable to invite them to follow the hygiene rules when they enter the house (wash their hands, take off their shoes) and still maintain an interpersonal distance of at least one meter.

Obviously, the exchange of glasses or plates should be avoided.

For a chat after dinner, it's best to put the mask back on.

It does not hurt to open the windows to ventilate the room periodically.

Regarding the use of the bathroom, it is good to provide the guests with special towels.

Disinfect the bathroom

Cleaning and disinfection are two very different things

.

Cleaning consists of removing contaminants from a surface.

Disinfection consists of killing pathogens.

For safety, both operations should be performed daily if more people enter and leave the room.

First, the surfaces must be cleaned, removing any contaminants, dust or dirt.

This can be done with soap and water (or a cleaning spray) and a mop.

A suitable surface disinfectant should then be applied.

The virus has been shown to die immediately (within one minute) after normal disinfection with ethyl alcohol (62-71% ethanol), hydrogen peroxide (0.5% hydrogen peroxide), or bleach (sodium hypochlorite, 1 %).

Special attention should be paid to the bathroom.

"Here, the droplets can spread, with the possibility of contagion", explains Fabrizio Pregliasco, researcher in general and applied hygiene at the University of Milan.

It is best to frequently brush sanitary ware with alcohol and bleach, even after visitors have used them.

Protect the most fragile

Grandparents and relatives with chronic illnesses must be protected with great care.

In case of Covid-19 infection, the risk of complications is higher for them.

Those who have many external contacts for study and work purposes should stay away from fragile people and wear a mask in their presence, even if they are at home.

Better to avoid kisses and hugs

.

Whenever possible, it would be good to leave a bathroom to themselves if the house is shared by several members of the family.

Ventilate rooms frequently.

Those who know they have been at risk should avoid visiting frail grandparents or relatives for a couple of weeks.

What to do if there is an infected person at home?

What happens if, despite the precautions, a family member becomes infected?

To avoid infecting your family members, you must remain isolated, according to your conditions and the need for assistance.

If you share the apartment with other people, you should avoid all contact, sleep alone and

stay in a room just for him

, which should be ventilated frequently, as well as limit movement in other areas of the house where there are other people.

If you need to leave the room, you must wear the surgical mask and keep the distance of at least one meter.

It must also have a private bathroom.

If this is not possible, the bathroom should be disinfected after use, using chlorine-based products (bleach) or 70% alcohol.

Do not share towels or sheets.

Dishes, glasses and cutlery can be washed with normal kitchen soap, while the waste produced by the infected person must be disposed of in a double plastic bag.

To continue reading for free

Sign inSign up

Or

and you will have access to all the web content of El Mundo

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more