11 Tips on How to Avoid Coronavirus (Other Than Washing Your Hands)

Now that the whole world is facing COVID-19, every expert is encouraging people to wash their hands properly and thoroughly. But what can you do aside from washing your hands and trying not to touch your face? (Good luck with not touching your face, by the way. It’s nearly impossible.)

Coronavirus is everywhere now, but these tips might help you try avoid it.

Even if you do all of these things you are still likely get sick, unfortunately. But you might at least put it off for a while, thereby helping to #flattenthecurve and increase the chances of survival for everyone.

Good luck out there — er — in there.

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Open your curtains.

UV light kills viruses. The more you natural light you have in your house, the better.

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Keep toothbrushes separate.

Just because one person in your house gets sick doesn’t mean that everybody is going to get sick. Make sure you keep toothbrushes separate. In fact, just keep them in your own bedrooms if possible, then bring them into the restroom dorm-style. It’s nice to use separate toothpaste bottles, too.

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Remove your rings, watches and bracelets when washing your hands.

A thorough hand scrub involves getting your wrists nice and soapy, too. Jewelry can trap filth to your hands and give shelter to nasties. Get rid of it during your scrub or avoid it altogether just to make sure.

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Remove everything from the bathroom that you don’t need in there.

If someone in your house gets sick, the restroom is going likely to be ground zero for potential contamination. Take everything out of the restroom that isn’t related to showering so you can avoid it as much as possible. That includes lotions or mirrors or makeup or anything else you might want to pop in to grab.

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Open your windows.

Air out your space if you can. If it’s at all nice outside, get some fresh air circulating. Well-ventilated rooms are a must.

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Shop during unpopular hours.

If you want to avoid viruses, you’re going to need to avoid crowds of people. Hit the grocery store when it opens early in the morning. Go to the pharmacy at midnight. If you have to get out, make sure it’s at a weird time of day.

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Avoid indoor contact.

Lots of pharmacies have drive-throughs now. CVS and Walgreens are even offering free medication delivery during this tough time. There are very few reasons to actually go inside a pharmacy at all. Do you know who goes inside a pharmacy? Sick people. Lots of them. They want pills and syrups and potions. You’re trying to avoid them. Don’t go where they go.

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Don’t. Touch. Anything. Shared. Ever.

Don’t touch a door handle. Don’t directly touch a grocery cart. Don’t touch a keypad to enter your pin. Don’t touch the refrigerator door at your office. Don’t share a pen with your coworker. You can avoid this by wearing gloves (even winter gloves afford you some barrier) or using tissues to grab things or using a pen to push buttons. Go about your life like a surgeon on television that just washed her hands and is trying to avoid contamination before she gets to the patient.

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Buy in bulk.

Or better yet, order in bulk, because every interaction with the public is one more chance you have of getting sick. Have items shipped to you or delivered.

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Keep your own supply of essentials.

If there are specific items you need that you can’t borrow from a neighbor or friend when times get rough (dye-free medicines, gluten-free food, etc.), make sure to get and keep your own stash. The less common an item is, the more you should have backup of it in your possession. If you need a specialty item and you’re already ordering one, order two. But no need to order 20. Stores are restocking at a quick pace.

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