You're being told to wash your hands regularly, but exactly when and how often? Here's a guide for health professionals that works for everyone. We live our lives in 3 zones and when you know these, the actions to take while you're there and when you move between them, it's easy.
Red (Risky) zone:
The dangerous one. Wash your hands regularly, don't touch your face and wash hands immediately before eating or drinking in public areas. In supermarkets, use the provided trolley wipes and hand sanitiser, etc. Health professionals will practice the usual 5 moments of hand hygiene when directly caring for patients. If you're in the clinic, put on non-sterile gloves and take 5 minutes to wipe your environment with alcohol wipes before you start: tables, telephone, chair handles, exam couch, blood pressure cuffs, stethoscope and door handles. You might consider wearing nitrile disposable gloves in very risky environmental situations, e.g. on a plane or public transport if the community infection rate is very high.
Orange (OK) zone:
These are areas that few other people use or places you transition to green zones, e.g. your car. Keep hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes in your car and sanitise hands when you come from a red zone. Hand hygiene isn't needed when you move from orange to red, but remember when you fill-up the car, you're back in the red zone again! Consider how often you need to wipe down regular orange zone touchpoints such as steering wheels, door handles, personal keyboards & your office phone. It may be daily or every other day. If you eat in an orange zone, still wash your hands first.
Green (Good) zone:
This is your home. Keep handwash near the entrance and wash your hands as soon as you arrive. Take care when you handle items that you bring from other zones. Still wash your hands before meals.
Special items:
Your mobile phone is probably your most dangerous item for infection transmission. You will touch it regularly throughout all 3 zones and put it next to your mouth. Wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe when you enter your green zone and you should be using hands-free in the car.
Your office swipe card will be handled throughout the day and you might need it in the car, so wipe it down at the end of the day and leave it there. Make an effort to keep pens out of your mouth and ladies need to think about where handbags go at home, and what's taken in and out. It goes without saying to avoid placing it on the floor in public restrooms - Coronavirus can be passed via the faecal-oral route and flushing toilets disperse a mist of infection.
If you teach your family and kids about the CoronaZones and establish good habits, you'll keep everyone safe. Together, we can beat this!