5 Ways To Avoid Virus From Coming In Your Apartment

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the globe, people had to change their daily lives. During the initial onset, numerous private and public businesses closed down their operations and the economy slowed. People are required to stay at home and keep themselves safe while infected individuals are battling against the disease. Health experts are still formulating a safe, effective vaccine and many countries still haven't flattened their epidemic curve.

To observe safety from COVID-19, health organizations and government units provided various preventative measures and restrictions. One of these restrictions involves social or physical distancing, which refers to keeping a safe distance of at least one meter from one another.

The Struggles Of Social Distancing

Social distancing is an essential preventative measure against the virus, but many people are still confused and unaware of everything they need to know about it. For instance, people mistake social distancing and social isolation as synonymous.

Social distancing, or physical distancing, is practiced to control the virus outbreak. This measure involves restricting yourself from going to crowded places unless necessary and maintaining a safe distance during these circumstances. Basically, it only refers to distancing oneself physically.

However, some individuals mistake it as distancing themselves not only physically, but also socially. Despite avoiding close contact with your loved ones, make sure not to isolate yourself from them socially.

Thanks to our devices, we can stay in touch with our loved ones and still stay present in each other's lives. Check out this page for suggestions on how to stay social while social distancing: https://www.sunrisevillageapts.com/blog/archive/2020/08/11/how-to-stay-social-while-social-distancing

Social Distancing In Housing and Accommodations

While social distancing can be observed fairly in public places, it can be difficult to practice them in smaller spaces. For instance, residential condominiums and apartment complexes house a large number of people. Unfortunately, once an individual living in one of these places contracts the disease, there are higher possibilities for an outbreak.

If you and your family are living in an apartment, you'll have to exercise precautionary measures more strictly and consistently. With this in mind, here are five ways to avoid the virus from coming inside your apartment:

1. Stay Inside Your Unit

Apartments are high-density communities, which typically contain one to four members per unit. Imagine every person going back and forth from their units to run errands and go off to work. The more people get out, the higher the rate of infection will be.

This precautionary measure has already been highlighted by health professionals, whether you live in an apartment or not. If you don't have something important and necessary to do outside, stay inside your unit. Certain individuals can be asymptomatic, meaning a person doesn't show symptoms of the virus yet they can pass it onto others.

If there are essential workers in your household, they have no choice but to go to work to provide for the family's needs. Before letting your household member enter the unit, encourage taking off their clothes, sanitizing, and washing them immediately. Then, follow normal health precautions as advised.

2. Stock Up On Necessities

In addition to staying at home, stocking up on your daily necessities minimizes the need for going out to buy things separately. Preferably, the member who most frequently goes out should accomplish these tasks. But, you should know the difference between stocking up and hoarding items. When you shop, shop with a particular stretch of time in mind before you would be comfortable going out to shop again. Then, with that goal in mind, purchase to your needs. Hoarding certain items means that the supply runs out more quickly and that others who also need those supplies won't be able to access them. We're all in this together, so please be considerate of all of the other people who are dealing with the same situation and only buy what you need.

If you don't prefer going out, you can resort to delivery services for groceries, prescriptions, healthcare items, and other essentials. Food delivery options are popular today because of its convenience and urgency, and it's safer to choose a contactless method for receiving your food through online payments.

For increased safety, wash your hands immediately after receiving your items and sanitize them as well if possible. 

3. Take Note Of Common Areas

Keeping common areas safe and virus-free is the biggest challenge in shared housing establishments during a health crisis. Areas such as the stairs, elevators, hallways, lobby, cafeteria, and bathrooms accommodate different people who have traveled from different places throughout the day.

While navigating and staying in these places, never forget to wear your medical-grade mask and bring your own sanitizer just to be sure. Wearing disposable or washable gloves isn't recommended as it will spread more germs across any surfaces you come in contact with. Also, maintain physical distancing in these common spaces.

Here are some other ways to keep yourself safe in common areas:

• Avoid overcrowded elevators. As much as possible, take the stairs and avoid touching the railings.
• Refrain from touching your face and fidgeting with your mask and other things.
• When sneezing or coughing, minimize spreading your discharge by sneezing or coughing in the crook of your elbow.
• Avoid touching unnecessary objects and refrain from leaning on walls and desks.
  

4. Keep In Touch With Your Landlord

Because of the nature of apartment buildings accommodating various families and individuals, each household unit should establish a clear connection with their landlord or property manager. Landlords and property managers have vital roles and responsibilities to their tenants during this health crisis. Keep in touch with your landlord constantly for updates inside and outside your establishment.

Furthermore, keep yourself updated through checking your emails and browsing your community websites for any schedule about facilities and services such as fitness centers, maintenance requests, cleaning services, and payment deadlines. If you're remotely working abroad and currently living in an apartment, it will be more challenging to keep yourself safe in a foreign country, thus consider these tips.

If your landlord or property manager isn't doing enough efforts and doesn't follow health protocols, it's important to discuss it with your fellow tenants through online means.

5. Protect Yourself

Last but most importantly, the perfect recipe for COVID-19 safety is to follow health protocols and protect your health. COVID-19 spreads from individual to individual through droplets from coughing or sneezing, or close contact with a sick individual.

Without protecting yourself from the virus, these efforts discussed above will be useless. Whether you're inside or outside your apartment, always remember these health measures and take them with you:

• Wash, clean, and sanitize your hands as much as possible. Moisturize your hands well to avoid cracking and bleeding of the skin.
• Avoid social gatherings.
• Clean and disinfect objects inside your unit, particularly frequently used ones.
• Keep yourself informed and updated with current events.

Bottom Line

Because of this current health crisis, everyone's health is at great risk. While some countries are slowly recuperating from their losses, some are still battling face-to-face with the virus, and discipline and awareness can assist individuals through this challenge. With the help of these ways, you can still safeguard yourself from the virus while living in your apartment.