The global coronavirus pandemic has seen strict new measures put in place to protect the public.
Yesterday (March 16), the Prime Minister advised people to work from home and minimise all social contact as the government tries to stop the spread of the deadly virus .
Despite its warnings, there will be instances where people may still have to venture outdoors during the pandemic.
And coronavirus, which originally broke out in Wuhan in China, is quite easily spread so here are 10 steps to help keep yourself safe, as advised by CNet .
1. Avoid touching things with your fingertips
Instead of pressing buttons at road crossings, or in lifts, or even using your fingers to turn on the tap, use a different body part instead.
Use your elbows, your hips or other body parts to open doors instead, or use your clothes to cover your hands.
It's easier to pop your clothes in the washing basket later rather than expose your skin now, especially as germs from coronavirus can live on surfaces for hours.
2. Look for automatic buttons
Where possible, take advantage of automatic buttons to avoid putting yourself in contact with potentially contaminated surfaces.
3. Be careful where you put your phone
The less you expose your phone to shared surfaces, the less you’ll need to worry about it possibly needing disinfecting.
When you're anywhere with a shared surface, lay down a paper towel and set your phone on that.
This will save you having to disinfect your phone as frequently.
4. Bring your own shopping bags
Instead of being passed a bag in a shop of supermarket, take your own to bag up your items.
This will reduce any potential cross-contamination - and put your fellow shoppers’ minds at rest.
5. Don’t shake hands
This may seem extreme, but there are other ways to greet people without touching.
Many people don’t display symptoms of coronavirus initially so to maximise your chances of yourself and your loved ones staying safe, try touching elbows or toe tapping instead.
It’s also not always apparent when someone has an underlying health issue, so you’ll be helping keep strangers safe, too.
6. Don’t touch food with bare hands
When perusing the fresh produce aisle or breads and rolls in the supermarkets, don’t use your bare hands in order to touch them or sort through them.
Use the handy bags provided, you can put your hand inside one to use it like a glove to help pick things up.
7. Continue washing your hands throughout the day
We all know the importance of hand washing in the current climate, and how easy it is to accidentally touch your face.
Make sure you wash your hands when you get home and any time you’re near a facility with hand washing supplies.
8.Carry hand sanitiser and wipes
These little items will be especially helpful while you’re out and about.
You may also encounter someone who needs them and sharing them keeps you safe, as well as those around you.
Use tissues whenever you need to sneeze or cough to prevent the spreading of germs.
9. Pay with card, not cash
Avoid handling cash to minimise your chances of encountering germs.
Pay with contactless or your debit card wherever possible - or use apps like Apple Pay or Google Pay on your phone.
10. Avoid ‘questionable’ items for nine days
Many healthcare professionals and scientists have suggested coronavirus could survive on surfaces for up to nine days at room temperature.
After that, it's thought the virus dies and is no longer able to infect you.
The virus can live on items like your jacket or work surfaces, so it’s important to keep cleaning such items with antibacterial products.
If you own a dry-clean only item, or items you’re not sure how to clean, simply set it aside for nine days to protect yourself.
Click here to read today's top news stories and click here for the latest coronavirus updates .
