The global coronavirus pandemic has dragged on now for months. Many have shown signs of fatigue, thinking that they can and should simply resume business as usual. While there is certainly something to be said for getting the economy moving forward as quickly as possible, safety precautions still obviously matter. Some states like Florida, for example, have seen rather significant spikes in reported cases recently. The Florida department of health is working to better understand this uptick in cases so that the appropriate changes can be made. Some people believe it has to do with bars being open, and others that it’s office spaces. The point, though, is that the coronavirus pandemic is clearly still not over, and we, as a country, must continue to take the situation seriously.

What You Can Do to Avoid the Coronavirus

There are several important things you can do to avoid the coronavirus. The first and most important thing is simple social distancing. What social distancing means is to stay five or more feet away from everyone you possibly can. When you are at the office, for example, or the grocery store, or even if you are on an outdoor walk, you should stay away from strangers. This doesn’t mean you must be uncivil. Certainly, you can still nod and wave at people—but the coronavirus is often transmitted between people through the air; as such, it is exceedingly dangerous to have face-to-face conversations with people you do not know.

As far as communicating and interacting with those you do know—like the people you live with—there are some things you want to keep in mind. First, it is important for everyone in your household to obey social distancing laws. If three of the people you live with are properly social distancing, but the fourth is going out to a packed office every day and then often spending his or her nights out at bars. This fourth person totally throws a wrench in the hole thing. If even one person in your home is not properly distancing, it potentially jeopardizes the health and safety of everyone they live with.  

So, the next most important thing you can do to stay safe and healthy during the coronavirus is to make sure that those you are living with are also doing their best to socially distance and take other hygiene precautions.

Third, you will want to wear a facemask whenever you can out in public and wash your hands thoroughly and often. What this means is that even if you are somewhere that a facemask isn’t required, if there is an abundance of people there, you should play it safe and opt to wear the facemask. Further, every time you go to the bathroom, you should spend almost a minute washing your hands. Many people don’t realize that most soaps are not anti-bacterial on-site. In other words, simply putting soap on your hands and casually rinsing it off is not enough to disinfect your hands. You have to vigorously rub your palms and fingers together for longer than you’d expect to truly disinfect your hands. And remember when you are out in public not to continually touch your face. Other than these tips, do your best to stay physically and mentally active and remember to breath deep, this unfortunate situation will not last forever!