Tips on how to coronavirus-proof your home

(CNN) Life under coronavirus means staying home as much as possible — but you'll likely need to make a trip to the grocery store or pharmacy at some point.

With the help of physicians and infectious disease experts, we built a tip sheet to make sure you don't bring the virus back with you.

You can download a printable version here — available in English, Spanish and Chinese.

Note: Recommendations for Covid-19 may change as officials learn more, so monitor your local health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for updates.

Make a game plan

Designate one person to be your errand-runner to limit your outside exposures
Set up a disinfecting station — an area outside your home or in a room with low foot traffic where you can disinfect packaged food

When you're out

Avoid coming within less than six feet of others
Wipe handles on carts or baskets while shopping
Some states mandate you wear a mask when you go into a business. Also, wash your hands frequently while you're out and avoid touching your face

When you get back

Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds [Click here to learn how to do so properly]
Disinfect takeout boxes and packaged foods at your disinfecting station
Thoroughly wash produce before putting it in your kitchen

Disinfect

Disinfect everything you touch — doorknobs, light switches, keys, phone, keyboards, remotes, etc.
Use EPA-approved disinfectants (these include Clorox Disinfecting Wipes and certain Lysol sprays) and leave surfaces wet for 3-5 minutes

Delivery

Ask workers to drop deliveries off on your doorstep or in an area of your complex
If they need you to come to the door, keep six feet of distance
Pay and tip online when possible
After you pick up mail from your mailbox, wash your hands

Laundry

Wash clothes, towels and linens regularly on the warmest setting
Disinfect your laundry hamper, too, or place a removable liner inside it
Don't shake dirty laundry to avoid dispersing the virus in the air

Guests

You shouldn't allow guests over right now
If you need to house a family member or friend, avoid shared living spaces as much as you can
If they need to enter shared living spaces, ask them to keep six feet of distance

If someone in your house gets sick

First, consult your doctor
Isolate them in another room and ask them to use a separate restroom
Disinfect frequently touched surfaces every day
Avoid sharing items with them
Wear gloves when washing their laundry
Continue to wash your hands frequently
Ask them to wear a face mask if they have one

Supplies you'll need

EPA-approved disinfectants

If you don't have disinfectants, make a bleach solution: Mix four teaspoons bleach per quart of water
Or Use a 70% alcohol solution
Laundry detergent
Trash bags
Prescription medicines (you can mail order these)
Canned foods — fruits, veggies, beans
Dry goods — breads, pastas, nut butters
Frozen foods — meats, veggies, fruits

Pets

Supervise your pet in your backyard
It's OK to play with them outside — just keep your distance from other humans
If you're sick, ask someone you live with to take care of them while you recover
If you must care for them while you're sick, wash your hands frequently

Our sources

Dr. Leana Wen, former Baltimore City Health Commissioner, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University
Dr. Koushik Kasanagottu, an internal medicine resident physician at John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, and who is among the thousands of health care professionals treating patients with coronavirus
Dr. Richard Kuhn, a virologist, director of the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease and editor-in-chief of the journal "Virology"
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CNN's Sergio Hernandez, Alberto Mier, Damian Prado, Juan Munoz and Leanza Abucayan contributed to this report.

Posted by admin on Apr 27 2020. Filed under News at Now, News Worldwide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry