Here at KleenTeem, we are all taking the novel coronaviruses pandemic very seriously, and we know you are, too! It’s important to keep informed so that we can all make good decisions to protect ourselves and others from the spread of Coronaviruses.
To start, think about what you do when you’re sick and trying to prevent others from catching it. What do you do differently? Do you wash your hands more, eat and sleep in another room, stay home while sick? It sounds funny to say it, but acting as if you are already sick is the best way to prevent yourself and others from getting sick. Ahead, important steps we should all be taking to stay healthy and safe during this pandemic.
Wash your hands thoroughly and often, for at least 20 seconds each time! Our hands are the #1 culprit for spreading around and transmitting germs, so it’s incredibly important to wash them properly and often.
How: Wet your hands with water, lather up thoroughly with soap. Be sure to scrub not just your palms but the backs of your hands, between your fingers, under the fingernails, your wrists - then rinse with clean water. Need a 20 second timer? Hum the ‘Happy Birthday’ song to yourself twice!
Keep a safe distance. Social distancing and self quarantine are the buzzwords of this era, and for good reason. It is absolutely essential to practice safe social distancing and to self quarantine, avoiding crowds, staying at least 6 feet apart from others in public, and abiding by stay-at-home orders.
Why is this so important? The goal of social distancing isn’t to stop the spread of this highly contagious virus. The main goal and purpose of social distancing is to flatten the curve of infection rates to manageable numbers, in order to preserve our healthcare systems. Our nation’s hospitals and health care workers are already being stretched dangerously thin, and it is a very real and scary fact that overloading our health care systems at this critical time will result in its collapse. If this happens, millions of people will die in the United States alone in a very short span of time, not just from Coronaviruses but from any number of other health conditions, simply because healthcare access and treatments will not be available. Social distancing and staying at home will literally save lives, and we all need to do our part!
Practice responsible sneeze & cough etiquette! Cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, then dispose of the tissue - don’t spit in public, and don’t cover up with your hands!
Why? The coronaviruses spreads chiefly through wet droplets that travel from an infected person expelling them when they sneeze, cough or spit, then is transmitted to a healthy person via their mucous membranes -- the eyes, nose and mouth. Hands are not only ineffective at covering up those water droplets, touching things after coughing or sneezing into hands can cause the virus to spread to others by surface contact.
Don’t touch your face! Fun Fact: The average person touches their face 16 times an hour. We already know that the virus spreads easily via our eyes, nose and mouth, so avoid touching your face completely - and of course, wash your hands thoroughly and often!
Take care of your body: Stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat right. Not only is water great for oral health, it’s essential for the optimal function of literally every single part of our bodies - our brains, muscles, organs, even our bones and teeth. Proper sleep, exercise, and diet are all also essential for keeping our stress levels down and our immune systems healthy and robust.
Disinfect surfaces and items you and/or others are in frequent contact with, such as faucet and door handles (especially bathroom handles), toilet seats, your cell phone, keys, keyboard and mouse, car steering wheel, etc. We know it’s tough to find disinfectant products on store shelves nowadays, but the good news is that scrubbing with soap and water is just as effective at killing the coronaviruses!
We are living in unusual and trying times, but the good news is that we know what steps to take to help keep ourselves and others safe. At KleenTeem, we are taking all necessary steps to ensure your health and safety, as well as that of our staff. With everyone playing their part, we know we will make it through this together!