Our guide to hygiene in a pandemic
Since the Coronavirus pandemic started earlier this year, the world has changed. People are more aware of hand hygiene and the use of hand sanitisers, soap and antibacterial wipes has certainly gone up. To us in the world of dentistry, these changes were actually things that we have been practising for a very long time.
The importance of hand hygiene and infection control has been at the forefront of the way that we have been providing dental treatment. Masks and gloves are a given, and proper hand hygiene is practised before we put on gloves, and when we take them off.
When COVID-19 hit, suddenly the rules that governed our workplaces suddenly had relevance to our whole lives.
As such, we wanted to share a few top tips on hand hygiene and hygiene as a whole during this pandemic.
- Avoid touching your nose, eyes or face when you go out.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds when you get home.
- We recommend bringing hand sanitiser with you when you go out. Use it before you eat, and after touching things that might be touched a lot by others. e.g. door handles, the toilet, communal areas.
- We try to ‘quarantine’ items we receive in the post or that we purchase for 3 days. If left for 3 days, any viruses would no longer be active.
- Not all hand sanitisers are the same. Check the alcohol content in your sanitiser is a minimum of 60-70%.
- It is a good idea to sanitise high touch areas in your house such as doors, benches, kitchen surfaces and bathrooms. Try to use a solution with minimum 60-70% alcohol.
- Removing your shoes before entering your home will reduce viruses and bacteria entering your home.
- If you are using re-usable cloth shopping bags, washing them in your washing machine will remove any viruses.
- If purchasing takeaway foods, empty out the food into a separate plate or bowl before discarding the packaging, then wash your hands thoroughly.
At Dental Quarters, we continue to follow our Coronavirus precautions for the safety of our team, our patients and the community as a whole. You can read more about our precautions here and here.
