Stay-at-home orders issued by public health departments around the country are designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. But how do you protect yourself if you live with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus? In this video, Elizabeth Jacobs, M.D., has some advice on how to stop the spread at home.
“First of all, it’s important that you sleep in a different room and if you can, do not share a bathroom,” said Jacobs, who is chief of primary care at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.
Jacobs also recommends wiping-down frequently-touched surfaces multiple times a day and limiting contact between household pets and the person with COVID-19.
What About That Amazon Package?
In this second video, Jacobs offers tips on how to safely handle potentially contaminated mail and packages delivered to your home.
“We do know that COVID-19 lives on paper and cardboard for about 24 hours, so you could leave your mail and packages outside… and then open them after that period.”
Another option: wearing gloves while opening packages. But, after removing the gloves, you’ll still need to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.