Social distancing
Together, we can slow the spread of COVID-19 by making a conscious effort to keep a physical distance between each other. Social distancing is proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of illness during an outbreak.
This means making changes in your everyday routines to minimize close contact with others, including:
- avoiding crowded places and non-essential gatherings
- avoiding common greetings, such as handshakes
- limiting contact with people at higher risk like older adults and those in poor health
- keeping a distance of at least 2 arms-length (approximately 2 metres) from others
Hygiene
Proper hygiene can help reduce the risk of infection or spreading infection to others:
- wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the washroom and when preparing food
- use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
- when coughing or sneezing:
- cough or sneeze into a tissue or the bend of your arm, not your hand
- dispose of any tissues you have used as soon as possible in a lined waste basket and wash your hands afterwards
- avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
Cleaning
While it is not certain how long COVID-19 survives on surfaces, it does seem to behave like other coronaviruses. Preliminary information on COVID-19 suggests that the virus may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days depending on different conditions, such as:
- temperature
- type of surface
- humidity of the environment
Although they do not claim to kill viruses such as COVID-19, cleaning solutions can play a role in helping limit the transfer of microorganisms. Health Canada has published a list of hard surface disinfectants that are likely to be effective for use against coronavirus (COVID-19). Public health officials such as WHO and Health Canada recommend cleaning high-touch surfaces often. In the workplace, it is recommended that high traffic work areas or frequently touched surfaces are disinfected twice daily. For example:
In your home:
- toys
- toilets
- phones
- electronics
- door handles
- bedside tables
- television remotes
In the workplace:
- desks
- tables
- handrails
- doorknobs
- computers, including keyboards and mice
- countertops
- light switches
- faucet handles
- cabinet handles
- elevator buttons
- phones
- kitchens
- cash registers
- restaurant tables and menus
Source
- https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/prevention-risks.html#h
- https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/preventing-covid-19-workplace-employers-employees-essential-service-workers.html#_For_employers