Healthy Campus COVID-19 Prevention Tips
As you move around our campus and our community, it's time to start thinking about what small but practical and active steps you can do to lower the spread of infection as much as is possible. The World Health Organization (WHO) really stresses the importance of keeping your hand clean and not touching your face.
Your Healthy Campus Safety Practices should include the following steps: Heading link
Wash your hand for 1- 2 minutes when you arrive at campus after traveling on a bus or train; when you are moving between classes, prior to eating; and prior to using public computers.
Prior to using a public computer, wipe down the following areas with a hand sanitizer or alcohol wipe. According to The Guardian, the following electronic equipment has, on average, thousands of microbes. Although the length of time that COVID-19 lives on a surface may vary, WHO recommends wiping down public surfaces.
- Mouse (1,617 microbes per square inch)
- Keyboard (3,295 microbes per square inch)
- Phone (25,000 microbes per square inch)
- Desk
Wear a mask at ALL times, whether it’s in a classroom or outside. This practice is mandated by the state of Illinois and the University of Illinois at Chicago as a strategy to protect its citizens and students from infection.
If you have to cough or sneeze while wearing a mask, be protective of those around you and cover your mask with a tissue or with a flexed elbow. WHO suggests that used tissue be disposed of in bins that have a lid. Now is the time to switch to a fresh clean mask.
This safety practice is especially important if you are in and small enclosed space like an office or classroom. If possible, step away from others, when coughing or sneezing, at least 8-10 feet more if possible. Research from MIT shows that a sneeze can travel up to 15-20 feet.
Avoid touching your face. Your safety practice should be not to touch your face, eyes, nose, or mouth unless your hands were just cleaned. Unclean hands can introduce contagions into your system through these “open” channels.
Carry hand sanitizer with you to clean hands when not near a restroom and to use when wiping down public computers. As you may know, there is now a shortage on hand sanitizer. While companies are working to meet the increased demand, you can activate the option of making your own hand sanitizer. It is really easy and requires two ingredients.
Hand Sanitizer Recipe:
- 2/3 cup of isopropyl alcohol (According to WHO alcohol kills COVID-19)
- 1/3 cup Aloe Vera gel
