Safer Habits for the New Year

Safer Habits for the New Year

As we get closer to the end of 2020, the global COVID pandemic shows no signs of slowing down. Each day we are still seeing hundreds of thousands of new cases of coronavirus infections, meanwhile people are still struggling complying with the strict safety measures. This whole year has felt like a nightmare that none of us can wake up from. The last thing we all want is to continue this nightmare into the new year so changes need to be made.

It is up to us to make 2021 a better year than 2020. There does not seem to be a definite end in sight especially with many counties still knee-deep in the second wave. There is however hope for a vaccine. This vaccine may not be available to the general public for a longer time than we all hope for but there are still plenty of preventative measures everyone can follow to avoid getting or spreading COVID.

The best thing you can do is stay home when you can. Your home is the safest place to avoid being exposed to any kind of sickness. If it is necessary to go out then the best alternative is to stay outdoors in the fresh air. When you are out make sure to always be practicing social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from others. Always wear a face covering that covers your mouth and nose whenever you are out. It is also important to wear a mask even when you are outside especially when social distancing is difficult to achieve.

Make sure to avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth. By touching the mucous membranes on your face with unwashed hands, it allows germs to enter the body. When we interact with people and touch things, it transfers the germs on to our hands. If we were to touch our faces with those germs we put ourselves at risk of infection. Which is why it is important to keep up with hand hygiene by regularly washing your hands. By having clean hands and regularly washing them, you can limit the spread of germs which helps keep everyone safe. According to the World Health Organization, the entire process of washing your handing should take 40-60 seconds.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to NOT go out if you are showing symptoms and to avoid contact with people who are sick. If you or someone you know continues to go out into the general public when they display symptoms of sickness or coronavirus it puts everyone else at risk. Even if they are mild symptoms, it is best to stay at home and rest. Just because your immune system can handle the symptoms yourself, does not mean everyone else's immune system is strong enough to overcome the systems as well. Remember to cover your coughs and sneezes to avoid spreading germs and to wear a mask properly when you are around people.

These things are nothing new to us and we have been hearing these same guidelines all year. We have failed to keep each other safe during the holidays and have failed to reduce our case numbers as a country. If we want things to start going back to normal we need to come together and take care of each other. The sooner we comply with these guidelines and make them a part of our regular habits then the faster we can recover from this year. Let’s stay safe this Christmas and be thankful for those of us who are healthy!