and if you are worried about santization process of your groceries, when they're delivered and you want to put them away, remove the plastic bags outside and throw them away. wearing gloves, mask, goggles. ideally full PPE if you have it. google.
hair is the biggest contaminant, and the dirtiest, and it's the part that gets in your eyes, and can infect you that way. so tie your hair out of your face or wear a head scarf or something very secure.
I don't recommend using gel or hair spray as when you're washing that out in the shower it can get in your eyes and it's just, an annoyance. you'll waste all your shampoo too.
and dr. oz posted a method for how to properly do this, with most risk eliminated possible. if you are someone immune compromised, with pre-existing conditions, elderly, or with an infant, it is ideal to make use of his method.
but, what I've been doing is just wiping everything down with a Clorox wipe wearing gloves. then put them away.
don't put anything 'open' in your fridge or freezer. and make sure to clean it regularly as well, lysol, rubbing alcohol above 60% proof, bleach, Clorox, work. Vinegar and baking soda do not work. hand sanitizer is only 80% effective.
if you want to be fancy, you can also buy UV light, if you are *super* immune compromised and this is a major difficult time for you. And you can set all of the items on a glass table on top of a mirror, then surround it with mirrors, and put a UV light inside the box of mirrors where your food items are. And then turn on the UV light. it's just a simple flash. and then it's decontaminated.
then, wearing gloves after washing thoroughly, you can get your food out of the box in 30 minutes, to put in a clean fridge.
But yeah, regardless of the methods you use, make sure you have no human contact during them, and afterwards, wash your hands for 60 seconds with antimicrobial soap and hot water. really rub, get in all the crevices. you can google surgical hand washing procedures to understand what's most effective and why.
and just don't touch your eyes, nose, mouth, ears, etc. ideally, ever.
as this is the number one way people are getting infected.
if you do have to go out, when you come back, take a hot shower after washing your hands. if you weren't wearing PPE or any protective gear what so ever.
put the clothes *in* the washer and start the washing before you get in the shower. and take the shoes off *outside* before you come into your quarantine zone. If this is not possible, wear plastic bags over your shoes when you enter.
dispose of all trash before you shower.
this is how people who work with highly infectious patients come home and manage to not spread disease into their homes, and it's the reason doctors change out of the scrubs before they come home.
so try to put these standard health care practices into use, as the highly infectious disease is no longer just in the ICU, it's, everywhere. Right now.
don't forget to disinfect whatever you touch as well, in the grocery putting away process. the door handles, the sink, the fridge handle.
try to keep a clean environment as best you can, sanitize what you can. floors, bathrooms (toilets/showers/sinks) counter tops, inside fridge and all your kitchen cooking machines, and door handles. if you dispose of possibly infected trash like (gloves you wore when disinfecting your groceries for example) dispose of this, and the trash bags the groceries came in OUTSIDE.
try not to touch the trash cans, aka, wear your glove to the can, dispose of the trash, then take the gloves off and throw them in. especially if you live in a public apartment and you a have community trash system. yeah, with this method you have to leave the trash open, but tbh, it's better than getting COVID.
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So now that I'm done with the safety precautions portion of this message. (Please read this first before you order groceries)
I'm going to give you tips on how to get your groceries fast and safely.
find a local grocer- and order directly through them. if they don't have an app or website, call.
they may be curb side pick up only, which is fine. they'll put the groceries out on the curb, then leave. then you can pull up and load them into your car.
just make sure to clean your car after doing this, keep them in your trunk to avoid cross contamination to your air space if possible, and wipes down your steering wheel with Clorox, lysol, or other disinfectants. before and after using it. you can wear gloves if you're really worried. just don't touch your face, as your driving home. lol
but ideally, they may do delivery.
do not order through instacart, order directly through the grocer.
the grocer I've been using is Sprouts. the "health food stores" are less picked over, think organic, vegan, healthy food. most people just, don't shop at these places (unless you live in a health nut area lol like, more people are into that in like Portland for example). but yeah, go for, out of the way, isolated, less shopped at, less known about.
(if you're really desperate, farms are an option).
and when you place your order on sprouts, make sure to provide a back up example of what you don't mind having instead- if the selected item is sold out. because news flash, it is. it more than definitely is.
but, there are alternatives. trust me.
and then, the most important part. when you are placing the order, make sure to preemptively add a hefty tip. 25 dollars or more, depending on the urgency of the order. 25 dollars will get you the order in a standard normal time, as things were pre-quarantine. aka, a few hours.
60 dollar tip, will you get you that order very readily.
this is because the drivers, who are taking the orders have 100's of options to scroll through right now. and they are searching for the largest tips, and nabbing them up before another driver gets them. thus, your order is first in line- even if you were last, technically.
it's not a great system, as it's causing some people to basically get their groceries in 4-5 days, and in my opinion it's a little corrupt- as some people are waiting on really important things like baby formula and diapers. But, nonetheless, this is how the system is right now.
with coming weeks it may change.
but yeah, if you use instacart, you will see your items in 3-4 days minimum after placing the order.
with sprouts, if you place it early in the morning, possibly that same evening, if not, the next day. which is far better.
and try to keep your order simplified and minimal, manageable. just, get the necessities. if you're wanting things to get there fast, keep the order small. and then the items that you don't need urgently, put for the second larger order.
and, yes, restaraunts are doing take out- doctors on the news are saying it's fine-
as it's less likely to contract the illness from eating food that had CV on it. you can google and research if you're curious as to why, it's just technical stuff. but, yeah, I have not been ordering any sort of take out or fast food prepared by other people, or anything that is not completely like, air tight packaged.
just to be safe.
and just remember the wise words of a CV patient in ICU who could barely breathe, who made a post to social media warning others.
"if you are thinking about taking *any* sort of risk, please, please please, reconsider."
this is the video I showed to my parents, who were failing to understand the severity and danger of the virus initially, and were going to break quarantine protocols numerous times. Each time they are about to- I just adamantly remind them of the video, and of that specific quote.
And it works. They go, "oh yeah,... guess it's not worth it is it."
no, no it's not.
if you are thinking of doing anything risky, it should be a matter of life or death.
like for example, I had no lactaid, a dietary supplement that helps me digest diary because I'm lactose intolerant. My dad said, "I'll just go to Walgreens and get some."
I said, "are you kidding me, and go directly to the medicine isle, in a place that has a clinic, and a pharmacy- where sick people are going?"
stay out of the health care zones, clinics, pharmacys, and yes, the medicine isle.
