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How not to get sick hereafter? Which pandemic health habits to keep long-term and which ones to ditch

The fear of the pandemic seems to have flown out of the window. Now, people are following fewer safety protocols. One hears of a number of viral fever and influenza as well as other illnesses cases. Here's a primer on which Covid prevention measures are worth keeping up with and which ones to ditch.

Kirti Pandey

Updated Jul 30, 2022, 02:39 IST

Hygiene practices will help you not to get sick hereafter. These pandemic health habits are good for you to keep in long term.

A certain sense of despondency, even recklessness -- seems to have set in as people have begun to ditch some safety protocols that they had so religiously adopted during the starting phase of the COVID-19 pandemic that has been raging for two and a half years now.

The UK daily Guardian reports about outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease at childcare centres across the Northern Territory and north Queensland, soaring influenza case numbers, and the emergence of monkeypox in Australia (though experts say it’s unlikely to take off).

One hears of several other rare and/or viral illnesses raging across several pockets of the globe. One cannot perpetually stay cocooned t home, swathed in the proverbial cotton wool. So how are we going to safeguard ourselves? The good news is that continuing some of the health and hygiene habits adopted because of Covid will also reduce the risk of contracting other allergies, the Guardian reports.

COVID-19 time practices to continue:

Minding your hands: Remember those videos preaching the 20-second handwash? Experts urged us to wash hands with soap and water for the duration of at least 20 seconds of rigorous scrubbing and rinsing. It dislodged the viruses, bacteria, dust, etc they promised. Well, it worked. The Guardian quotes Dr Kerry Hancock, an Adelaide-based GP with a special interest in respiratory medicine, who says that although it’s now known that Sars-CoV-2 mainly spreads through the air, hand hygiene is the “cornerstone” of infection prevention – and a simple way to cut transmission of other viruses and bacteria. Also, ensuring that your hands are clean before a trip to the shops or a ride in an elevator is about protecting other people as well. Even those who shied away from washing hands after every trip to the washroom or loo are now into the habit of a good handwashing exercise.
Regular jabs to stay protected: Doctors - not just in the western countries - but also in India - now recommend that all persons over six months old MUST get the influenza vaccine, which in 2022 is protective against four strains. Though, in some developed or western countries, the federal government already foots the bill for a flu vaccine for those at high risk, most other countries' national vaccination programme does not include it as a mandatory vax - more like an optional one. It may be worth making the jab -- free long-term, Seale adds. Along with the flu vaccine, Hancock urges that everyone stay up to date with other regular vaccinations.
Staying home when sick: What may have seemed to be overcautious or fancy when flu spread in pre-COVID-pandemic days, is now a given. One of the biggest lessons of Covid-19 has been the importance of unwell people staying away from work and social events, Guardian quotes Associate Prof Sheena Sullivan, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Doherty Institute as saying.
Cannot stay at home when sick? Wear a mask! Sullivan hopes that when people must go out while they have respiratory symptoms, there will be a long-term shift towards wearing masks out of courtesy to others. “I work with people who understand viruses quite well so it’s an unusual environment – but there are people who, if they know someone in their family is unwell or they have symptoms themselves, they start wearing an N95 while they’re at work.” A practice that several offices now seem to have stopped is to provide free N95 or surgical masks and sanitisers at the workplace. Dr Kerry Hancock says “the best mask is an N95 respirator, fit tested and checked, and worn with the straps tied securely overhead. However, the best compromise for the public is a surgical mask to prevent transmission to others.”
Ventilate, ventilate, ventilate: Earlier, most buildings stressed centralised airconditioning. But central AC is a bad idea when the same air is being circulated again and again with people being forced to breathe in the same volume - especially when we know that, in aerosol-transmitted disease, ventilation is critical, experts opine. The World Health Organization ventilation “bible” has advice on assessing airflow for building managers as well as people caring for a Covid-19 patient at home. The same consciousness or sense of responsibility is needed in social settings too. Dr Kerry Hancock tells the Guardian - “A lot of cafes and businesses modified their buildings – maybe knocked a wall down to have more open windows … I would really pick and choose where I go, for example, not sitting to eat in a crowded place with poor ventilation.”

Habits to ditch:

Wearing gloves: Not necessary and in fact gives a false sense of protection as it weans one from hand hygiene.
Plastic barriers: Plastic barriers, such as those used at many retail checkouts, interfere with ventilation and provide a false sense of security, says Dr Kerry Hancock. Wear a mask, maintain distances, and ventilate the place, instead.
Wiping surfaces and door handles all the while: No, this is NOT the key driver of the pandemic if one follows hand hygiene and no touching of the face, eyes, nose, mouth etc without washing hands with soap and water.
Using sanitiser all the while: Hand sanitisers are convenient, so they make it more likely that people will clean their hands, and that's better than not cleaning at all. However, one must always clean with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty, or if one has touched chemicals. Also, some scientists worry about microbial resistance. The best way is to clean with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty, or if you've touched chemicals.
Using disposable cutlery: Out of abundant caution and to avoid sharing utensils, some people had taken to using single-use dishes, spoons etc. Look at the havoc that Climate change is doing to the world. Avoid such abuse of nature and resources. Use washable steel utensils, instead.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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