Coronavirus or COVID-19 is a new disease and doctors across the globe are still learning how it spreads, the severity of the symptoms tied with it, and how contagious it may be. In Seattle, schools are closing and many employers are letting people work from home for the remainder of the month. This is a huge step to prevent the spread of disease and thankfully, the CDC has shared information to keep your home and family safe from illness.
How is the Coronavirus spread?
Person-to-person contact
While details are still being established, at this time the disease is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person contact. As a respiratory disease, COVID-19 can be spread through an infected person coughing or sneezing within 6 feet of an uninfected individual.
Contact with infected surfaces
The main way COVID-19 is thought to be spread is through contact with an infected individual, but health officials are also cautioning the public about coming into contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. The CDC, in particular, warns about contact with a contaminated surface and then touching your nose, mouth, or eyes.
Prevention
The best way to prevent a disease with no vaccine is to avoid catching it. Many of the everyday actions you do to prevent catching a regular cold apply to COVID-19. These include:
-
Avoiding contact with those who are sick
-
Staying home when you’re sick
-
Cleaning and properly disinfecting heavily used surfaces and frequently touched objects
-
Washing your hands with soap regularly and for at least 20 seconds
Proper sanitization techniques
-
Clean first, disinfect later. Cleaning refers to the removal of germs from whatever surface you’re using. Disinfecting is the process of killing germs left on said surface. It goes without saying that it’s better to fully remove germs and then worry about killing those that remain.
-
Use household cleaners on frequently touched objects. Doorknobs, tables, keyboards, toilets, remote controls, and light switches are all heavily used objects around your home that come into contact with many germs. When cleaning these, use soap and water to remove germs, then disinfect with an alcohol solution that is at least 70% alcohol. You can also use any common household disinfectant that is registered with the EPA, such as Lysol or Clorox.
As a family-owned and operated company, we understand firsthand how important it is to protect your loved ones from COVID-19. Steve’s Plumbing is taking every precaution possible when it comes to keeping our people healthy. Our technicians wear gloves, wash their hands, and have hand sanitizer easily accessible in their trucks. We guarantee that we won’t send a sick employee to anyone’s home. We keep our team healthy so you can rest easy knowing your home and family will stay healthy.
For more information about COVID-19 please visit the CDC’s website.