A gradual and phased ease of lockdown in FCT, Lagos and Ogun states starting 4th of May has been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari. This means employees will begin to resume at their respective workplaces from Monday.
Despite resumption, it is important that you, as an employee protect yourself from illness namely Covid-19 while working in highly populated offices, commuting, or generally going about day to day activities.
You’ve probably heard or read some of these tips before, but now is a good time to remind yourself- again by reading these six ways to stay safe and prevent contracting Coronavirus (or any other infection).
– Keep A Bottle Of Hand Sanitiser At Your Desk
If soap and water aren’t easy to access at your workplace, keep a bottle of hand sanitiser handy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended using one with at least 60% alcohol content to best protect yourself from germs.
Using hand sanitizer is a quick way to disinfect your hands in between soap-and-water washes, but washing your hands have greater efficacy at killing off droplets and viral contaminants. Nevertheless, it is very important to owe a hand sanitiser.
– Sanitise Your Workspace
According to the Wall Street Journal, the average desk has 800 bacteria per square inch — roughly 14 times more bacteria than an office toilet seat.
Therefore, to prevent catching an infection, clean your workspace often with surface cleaning spray or a disinfecting wipe.
Office items you touch like keyboard, mouse, monitor buttons, desk phone as well as desk surface should be regularly wiped. At the beginning and end of the day, wipe down surfaces that you’re going to touch often. Even while working, you can wipe off these surfaces.
Also, avoid touching surfaces with your bare hands. The best way to protect yourself from illnesses and infections is by limiting hand-to-surface exposure. When grabbing door handles, use a tissue or glove to avoid touching the possibly germ-covered surfaces with your bare hands.
– Work In A Secluded Area If You Can
If you can, work in a secluded area, like a private spot. However, this opportunity may not be available to you. Nonetheless, if you share an office space, you can still take measures to avoid catching diseases from your desk neighbours by keeping an healthy distance of about 2 meters. Remember that one of the ways to contract the virus is by being in close proximity to other people.
– Avoid Touching Your Face – Mouth, Nose, and Eyes
A CDC study states that in order to prevent yourself from contracting illnesses like COVID-19, flu, or even a cold, you should avoid touching your face at all costs.
According to the 2015 study, people touch their faces an average of 24 times an hour, and about 44% of that touching involves the eyes, nose, and mouth.
However, not touching your face may be one of the easiest ways to prevent illness at work.
Some people have nervous habits like biting nails or touching eyes which can put them more at risk of catching the coronavirus [and other illnesses]. Make conscious effort to avoid these habits.
– Avoid Physical Contact, Including Hugs And Handshakes
Working environments encourage a lot of physical contacts like hugs and handshakes. But it is important to limit these contacts with others this period.
Abstain from handshakes and hugs while in the office in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus or even flu.
This may be difficult as handshakes are ingrained in our culture. Touching elbows (if you must) is a safer option than a fist bump or handshakes. Even a slight nod or bow is a better way of saying hello.
– Stay Calm
Above all, experts emphasize to remain calm.
As much as this is a very challenging period, staying calm will help to keep your sanity. Don’t panic, just stay focused and smart.
Stay Safe.
