Understanding the Threat of Transmission

• Airborne– The virus can be spread from infected people though coughing or sneezing, inhalation of these microscopic droplets can transmit the virus through your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Surface Contamination– Comes from an infected person touching a surface before you and leaving the microscopic virus deposits, this is a more likely concern of transmission. This transmission will be self-inflected by touching your eyes, nose or mouth with contaminated hands or fingers.

Cleaning Your Work or Home Environment

• Don’t overlook cleaning; you can control and lower bacteria, viruses loads by cleaning.
• All disinfectants work better on clean surfaces than dirty.
• Change your cleaning towels often; you can spread germs by using the same towel over large or multiple areas.
• Make a list of what you consider “high touch” surfaces to be cleaned in your home or work. This could include soap dispensers, faucet handles, counters, cell phones, TV remotes, doorknobs, etc.
• Several times a day, target high touch surfaces in your home for cleaning and disinfection.

Proper Use of Disinfectants

• Make sure you are using a disinfecting product that is at least 99.9% effective. If used correctly, this should be strong enough to inactivate the Coronavirus.
• Always read the label. Disinfectants require a dwell time to work, which means that a surface will have to stay wet for the entire duration to be effective.
• When the surface is dry, the disinfecting stops. If your product states “2 minutes dwell time” and your treated surface dries in 30 seconds, you’re not getting done what you think you are.
• Chlorine bleach loses its effectiveness when mixed with water after 24 hours.
• Once opened, Chlorine bleach can lose its effectiveness after 3-months.
• Some disinfectants require rinsing the surface after use.

Essential Hand Hygiene

• Use Liquid soap instead of foam soap. Liquid soap cleans better and doesn’t rinse as easy as foam soap, which is the goal.
• Used Lotion to repair dry or cracked skin on your hands.
• Any exposed scrapes or cuts on your hands or fingers can be an entry point for the virus.
• Change bandages daily for minor cuts on hands or fingers.

Family Habits to Develop

• Whether at home, at work, or in your car, keep the things you touch clean, which will lessen the chances of being infected when you forget and touch your face.
• Wash your hands as soon as you get to work, wash your hands when you leave work.
• Use hand Sanitizer every time you enter your car.
• Make sure each family member washes their hands as soon as they get home before they touch anything. This may be the most important family habit to adopt.

Prepare Like You Are Going to Get Sick

• Have enough cold/fever medications to help get you or family members through an illness.
• If you live alone, develop a list of friends, relatives, and neighbors that can support you if you become ill.
• Make sure you have a reliable thermometer to monitor fevers.
• Keep your pharmacy prescriptions full to avoid running out if you are ill.
• Have some easy to make meals (frozen, canned) that you can easily prepare by yourself.

Going out in Public

• Avoid getting close to people that look sickly.
• Quickly walk away from someone coughing or sneezing.
• Wash or sanitize your hands before getting into your car.

Caring for Someone Sick

• Be cautious of germs on your hands, touching them or having the virus on your hands won’t make you sick unless your hands come in contact with your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Be cautious of them coughing or sneezing in your presence, inhalation of the aerosolized microscopic droplets could infect you, microscopic particles could stay airborne for hours.

*Disclaimer: I am not a healthcare provider, CDC professional, or with any government agency. I have been involved in cleaning and restoration for over 42 years. Over the last six years, we have included indoor air quality, infectious disease cleaning, and professional disinfection to the service we offer. My intent is to give my family, friends, overall community some helpful information and to provoke thought for each individual’s situation. Information changes quickly, so please take this information the way it was intended. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

The defense of this virus starts at home.

Thank you,
Dan Chavez