Coronavirus Pandemic: 7 Ways to Effectively Protect Yourself at Work

Some companies in Nigeria have closed indefinitely due to the raging coronavirus pandemic while others haven’t. If yours haven’t, it is very important that you protect yourself from getting infected by the virus at work. These tips will help you.

Wash your hands often

Shared office items like coffee pots and phones, as well as a door handle, elevator buttons, and light switches can harbor a host of germs. To prevent getting sick, it’s important to wash your hands often. You should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk

If soap and water aren’t easy to access at your workplace, keep a bottle of hand sanitizer handy. Using one with at least 60% alcohol content to best protect yourself from germs. Using hand sanitizer is a quick way to disinfect your hands in between soap-and-water washes, but washing your hands does have greater efficacy in washing away droplets and viral contaminants any kind of dirt where germs could be hiding underneath, hand sanitizer isn’t going to get it but soap and water will.

Avoid touching surfaces with your bare hands

The best way to protect yourself from illnesses and infections is by limiting hand-to-surface exposure. When grabbing door handles, use a tissue or glove to avoid touching the possibly germ-covered surfaces with your bare hands.

Work in a secluded area if you can

If you work in an open office, you can still take measures to avoid catching diseases from your desk neighbors. Finding a more secluded spot to work, like a phone booth cubicle or corner desk, can help prevent you from catching illnesses from nearby people. One of the ways to catch the virus is to be in close proximity to other people. If you’re at work and you’re within six feet of someone for more than two minutes, who are showing symptoms, can definitely increase your risk.”

Avoid touching your face, namely your mouth, nose, and eyes

In order to prevent yourself from contracting illnesses like COVID-19, the flu, or even the common cold, you should avoid touching your face at all costs.

Avoid physical contact, including hugs and handshakes

It’s also important to limit physical contact with others when possible. The handshake is a tough thing because it’s so ingrained in our culture. Touching elbows is a safer option than a fist bump or handshake, avoiding areas that may come in contact with your face. 

Sanitize your workspace

In order to prevent getting sick, clean your workspace often with household spray or a disinfecting wipe. Focus on cleaning the items you touch most often, namely your keyboard, mouse, monitor buttons, and desk phone, as well as the desk surface. At the beginning of the day, wipe down surfaces that you’re going to touch often.