Yes, practicing safe socialization through social distancing is one way to avoid both catching and spreading COVID-19 as well as other bugs. It makes sense though it’s a tad difficult and painful.
It’s not enough though. Disinfection of all surfaces, maintaining scrupulous hygienic habits are paramount. Washing hands properly with soap, coughing or sneezing in the crock of the elbow and washing hands (and face) again, change and wash clothes often…. All of that will help.
Now there are many, too many people who still don’t take hygiene seriously. Playing with pets, kissing pets, letting them lick their hands and faces … somehow many don’t think this is terrible enough because they don’t see it as spreading COVID-19. Well, maybe not this boogeyman, but it will spread other equally bad or worse diseases.
Keeping safe means keeping clean and this includes kids and babies. No amount of dirt is safe and definitely not desirable. Kids don’t build immunity by licking floors and windows. Letting your baby’s soother or bottle fall to the floor or anywhere actually and placing it back in their mouths without properly disinfecting it first is a vehicle for spreading more diseases. COVID-19 is only one to be feared, but don’t forget all the rest that can infect kids and adults and cause nasty diseases.
I have this vivid memory of an incident that happened about 25 years ago. We were in a restaurant and I took my 5-year old son to the washroom. After he finished, we both washed our hands. At the same time an elegantly dressed lady had brought in her grandchild who, upon seeing my son washing his hands, told her granny that she wanted to wash her hands too. The elegantly dressed lady said and repeated over the child’s protests: not now sweetie, no time, we have to go! I remember being stunned by this elegantly dressed lady‘s shameful response and behaviour. Poor child!
So obviously the fight against COVID-19 and all communicable diseases relies heavily on our attitude to cleanliness. Isn’t it said that cleanliness is next to godliness? Forget god and prayers and holy water and all the mumbo jumbo: WASH YOUR HANDS AND DON’T SNEEZE OR COUGH ON ANYBODY! Protect yourselves and others around you at all times by keeping a safe distance.
Oh and to the hoarders of toilet paper, hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes who are leaving store shelves empty, shame on them!
