Avoiding germs is always a good idea, but never before has it seemed so important than right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In fact, keeping yourself protected against the coronavirus could be a matter of life and death, which is why people are being more careful than ever before when they do basic day-to-day activities like going food shopping.

“It used to be seen as a mundane weekly errand, but has become a task that requires more thought and preparation during this COVID-19 pandemic crisis,” explains Lisa Larkin, MD, an internal medicine physician and CEO of Ms Medicine.

The good news is that there are steps you can take to avoid germs and reduce your risk of infection or infecting others during this time. Read on for tips to shop for your groceries in as safe a manner as possible.

You might not be a morning person, but going to the supermarket bright and early when they’re just opening might be your best option.

“By avoiding large groups of people, you decrease your risk of becoming infected, as the virus is mainly spread through close contact with other people,” says Jonas Nilsen, MD, and co-founder of Practio.

In addition, many stores sanitise overnight, so the environment, in general, is less germy. Many stores are also offering special morning hours where only senior citizens are allowed to shop—call ahead to find out if your regular supermarket is offering these. 

Studies suggest that COVID-19 can live on surfaces for up to a few days, so wipe down the handles of shopping carts or baskets with a sanitising wipe. Some stores provide wipes, but not all do, especially during this time of shortages, so it’s best to bring your own.

Dr Larkin also suggests bringing extra wipes for opening the freezer and refrigerator door handles and sanitising your hands throughout the shopping experience. 

One of the easiest ways to spread the virus is by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your face, eyes, nose, or mouth.

This is a lot harder than it sounds, as a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control estimated that people touch their faces more than 20 times in a single hour.

While a mask can help prevent you from touching your mouth and nose, they are recommended for the use of health care professionals only, especially given the current shortages of PPE (personal protective equipment).

As much as possible, try to maintain a safe, six-foot distance from other shoppers. “This may be as simple as avoiding a crowded aisle and circling back a few minutes later,” says Dr Larkin.

Since other shoppers might not be as mindful as you are about maintaining social distance, be polite in your request that they keep their distance with a courteous “excuse me.” 

Just as you’re being thoughtful about your own health, be thoughtful about the health of others, suggests Dr Larkin.

“If you have an elderly neighbour who needs help, see if you can shop for them or teach them to use an online and delivery option,” she says.

“Be patient and kind with one another, especially the workers keeping the stores open and functioning—and of course, if you are ill, please stay home and don’t expose others.” 

Antimicrobial wipes might suffice for cleaning packaging such as jars, plastic containers, cans, and bottles, but Alexea M Gaffney-Adams, MD, an internist with additional subspecialty training in infectious diseases at Stony Brook Medicine, recommends going a step further during checkout.

“You don’t want to contaminate your skin with infectious virus and bacteria and the wipes can be drying and damaging to the skin,” she says.

When possible, James Elder, DO, an internist at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth and Texas Health Physicians Group, suggests using debit cards or other forms of electronic payment.

“This will reduce the need to touch paper money or coins, which can potentially carry germs,” he says. If using electronic payments is not possible, he recommends cleaning hands immediately after touching cash or coins.

After you’re done shopping and before you get in your car or grab your car keys or smartphone, use hand sanitiser—it’s the best way to clean your hands when water and soap are not available. Just be sure that the hand sanitiser contains at least 60 per cent alcohol, notes Alex Berezow, PhD and microbiologist. 

“Use a healthy plop (not just a tiny drop), and be sure to rub it all over the back of your hands as well,” he says. “You should use enough sanitiser so that it doesn’t evaporate as you rub your hands for 10 to 15 seconds.” 

When you get back to your house, leave the bags outside the door and carry the food in separately.

“This can be annoying and take some time, but will decrease the chance that any particles could be hanging around on the plastic or paper bags,” says Lisa Saff Koche, MD.

As the situation progresses, it may be worth it to see if your grocer will deliver or allow for an in-store pick-up. This is one of the best ways to reduce your risk is to avoid entering the store altogether, notes Dr Larkin.

“Ask your delivery person to leave the shopping outside your door, or if picking up in the shop car park, leave the trolley at your boot so you can load them without interacting directly,” she adds. 

Dr Larkin recommends rinsing your produce just as you would normally to remove any soil or debris. “If you wish to wipe down jars, cans, and bottles before putting away, you can do so with a disinfectant wipe,” she adds.

“You should also wash your hands after handling any products during feed preparation to be extra cautious about avoiding contamination.” 

Originally published on RD.com and RD.ca

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