While many states have mandated quarantine and lockdown for their residents, urging or requiring employees to work from home, several people still must work in an office during these high-risk times—in addition to the service workers and healthcare professionals that have been working so selflessly and tirelessly. While you may have been isolating yourself and taking all of the necessary precautionary measures implemented by the CDC, it is still crucial that you continue to keep up with intensive cleaning of your office space so that you do not spread potentially underlying traces of the virus. You should always be prioritizing proper sanitation in your area. It needs your TLC now more than ever, and you should share these tips with your fellow work team. And while you may have a cleaning service that visits your office to clean, it will help that much more by getting everyone in your office in on individual responsibilities.

In essence, it’s the little things that go a long way. Get your mask, gloves, and hand sanitizer ready!

1. If you feel the slightest bit feverish or demonstrative of flu-like symptoms, stay home. Your health and the health of those around you is much more important than skipping out on a day of work. If you are sick, you likely won’t be as productive anyway. We must think of each other during these uncertain and concerning times.
2. We have been conditioned to believe in the cleansing powers of conducting circular movements while wiping down surfaces. However, all this does is spread whatever dirt or germs, rather than picking them up and removing them. Abandon your old techniques, and instead opt for the “one-way” wipe down, using wipes to clean off surfaces with one fluid hand movement.
3. Think about how often you use your cell phone, between calls, mindless social media scrolls, and email checks. For that reason, it is a breeding ground for germs and corralling bacteria. Become mindful of regularly cleaning your phone, as to always have a sanitized companion on you.
4. I’m sure it has been drilled into your ears by this point, but everyone is serious when they tell you to carry out responsible hand-washing practices. This entails scrubbing both hands under hot water for at least 20 seconds with antibacterial soap. If you do not have access to soap and water, be sure to use a hand sanitizer composed of at least 60% alcohol content. Thoroughly dry your hands after the fact as well, since moisture can facilitate the spread of germs. Aim to sanitize your hands frequently, without a “call to action,” but definitely be sure to do so before, during, and after using the bathroom, food preparation and consumption, blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, and touching any common areas.
5. Be mindful of how you are sneezing and coughing. It is prime allergy season right now; your sneezes and coughs might not necessarily indicate a virus. Still, as mentioned earlier, you might be asymptomatic if you happened to catch corona at some point. Sneezes and coughs are channels through which germs can travel, so sneeze and cough into tissues and dispose of those as soon as possible. You can also sneeze and cough into your elbow.
6. DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE. That one is pretty self-explanatory. Just don’t do it.
7. Try to stay as distant from coworkers as possible. While these times have demonstrated to us that some don’t take such circumstances as seriously as others, you can be a powerful influence by encouraging your office to practice social distancing. In this type of environment, this can include maintaining at least 6 feet of space away from one another, hosting meetings that include no more than the 10-person limit, and avoiding close contact as often as possible in order to ensure everyone’s safety.

There are aspects of the coronavirus that we still don’t know or can’t control. However, we can do our part by working with what we know so far by listening to all of the precautionary measures broadcasted by credible medical organizations actively working to protect our nation. By keeping yourself as safe and healthy as possible, you are also contributing toward improving the well-being of those around you. This recognition of the common good will ultimately be how we combat this detrimental pandemic.