Quick Tips For Staying Safe by Viridi

Whether you like it or not, the world is opening back up. You could either roll with it or get left behind but there’s no reason to not be careful. To protect our loyal Viridians, we put together a list of tips to help you and your loved ones stay safe as the world opens back up.

 First and foremost is pretty obvious; wear a mask.  You should be used to it by now and for the greater good you need to keep wearing those itchy pieces of fabric. Surgical and homemade masks protect the people around you from the the nasty germs that could potentially spread coronavirus. Will it protect you? No. Will it protect those around you? You bet! In times like these we need to keep work together to make the world a safer place. 

Next off, we all need to accept the fact that likely most people who are infected  don’t have symptoms. The CDC estimates that at least a third of coronavirus carriers are asymptomatic, and 40% of transmission occurs before people feel sick. We’re not here to scare you but we do want you to stay safe. Just because someone looks healthy and isn’t coughing doesn’t mean that they can’t infect you. Keep your distance and don’t get to comfy with anyone outside of your household.

I feel like that at this point this goes without saying but just to cover our bases we’ll say it. WASH YOUR HANDS. Wash those beautiful little hands of yours as often as possible. Don’t be stingy with the soap and make sure you’re scrubbing for at least 20 seconds. Don’t hesitate for an excuse to wash. Hanging in public, blowing your nose, coughing, or going for a stroll are all great excuses for a good ol’ hand wash. If soap and water are not available at the moment, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol (check www.goviridi.com to stock up on hand sanitizer!)

Size matters! The size of the closed space is also important. Air at a larger enclosed area, like a mall, would be expected to contain fewer virus particles than air in a smaller enclosed area with low ceiling and close quarters, like an office space. The safest place to congregate is outdoors! A little fresh air and sunshine won’t kill you plus the virus is most dispersed in the outdoors. Just be sure to wear that mask we mentioned before!

Bouncing off that point, we also want to stress the importance of keeping your distance. Even if you’re outdoors, the CDC still recommends keeping six feet as a safety buffer between you and those around you. No, you don’t have to lock yourself away and hide under a blankie. You could go out and socialize with friends, just be smart about it. Sit in spread out circles, go on walks, and any other fun and clever activities you could think of. As long as you keep them socially distant!

We get it. We’re only human. People need social interactions for their own mental health and as restrictions are lifted, we need to regain some sense of normalcy but we also need to remain vigilant, especially if you're at high risk. We need to keep in mind why the world shut down as we move forward if we want to move forward. Let’s do our best to have that cake and eat it too. Enjoy life without ignoring necessary precautions.