Total confirmed infected: 1,182,999 Total deaths: 64,000
Made a solo foray out to get supplies this morning. Usually the other occupant of Isolation Manor comes with me and we do a team process. She goes in the store and I "man" (person?) the getaway vehicle with the washing station and disinfection equipment. Then we go home and do the sorting and washing process, Today, though, I was all alone, having come down to Isolation Manor 2 so I could do some other renovations for a couple of days. This occupied most of the morning and it went like this:
First, my never-leave-home-without-it sanitation kit. An ice cream pail with warm water for washing, a thermos of hot water to warm up the warm water, a bar of soap and spray bottle of bleach solution (probably 10 ppm, although I haven't tested the concentration so far) and a "bleach cloth" for wiping things down, especially vehicle door handles, steering wheel, shift lever.... I keep this kit in the back of the truck, which is where all the bags go.
Before I get into the technicalities, I need to say how impressed I was with the way stores are organized to make this work. Each store I was in had someone assigned to clean shopping cart handles, there was hand sanitizer available and in two stores I was asked to use it before I entered the store. There were markers on the floors indicating 2-meter distances. In one store they were in each aisle along with direction arrows. Shields were in place to protect cashiers. The shelves were well stocked (even TP was available in quantity although there was a one package limit), everything was even cleaner than usual AND people were friendly and helpful and efficient.
Some stores have designated certain times that are for seniors and those with special health risks. I was at it early this morning and the stores were not that busy.
The shopping "experience" was almost normal, just with a few minor adjustments.
After each store visit (I had to go to 3 different stores and 1 garden center) I put the bags in the box of the truck and then washed my hands on the tailgate of the truck. Only then did I get into the truck to go to the next location.
Once home, the real process began.
First, I took my shoes off at the door and went to the basement where I put my clothes in the washing machine (sorry - no pictures available...), started that up and had a shower, before going back upstairs.
Then, I cleaned two kitchen areas and filled one sink bowl with hot, soapy water. One area close to the door is designated the "dirty" area and the one to the right of the sink is the "clean" area.
As I brought things in, I washed and wiped down each package and set it aside to drain before packing it away wherever it need to go. The bags I put back outside and sat the cardboard boxes outside too in the sun. I'm assuming that some UV will help.
This process was described in a video that I watched a week or so ago. We've used it a few times now and we seem to have the whole process working properly. If you haven't seen it, you can see it here:
Happily, all this only took about 3 hours.
I know some of this might seem like massive overkill, but I actually know how small a virus is and what the risk factors are for someone my age and until someone comes up with a way you can see where the little buggers are and until there's a vaccine, I'm going to err on the side of caution.
One note: I didn't use plastic gloves or a mask. Wash your hands, don't touch your face and stay away from people.
Isolation Manor 2 ... Out
No comments:
Post a Comment