Safety Guide on Commuting to the Office During Covid-19

During the last few months, the world had almost come to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to reboot and continue with our daily work and business, knowing fully well that this virus is here to stay. With workspaces opening up, we need to consider all safety measures while commuting.

Any kind of lethargy in following the precautions can make it more likely to be infected by the virus. Once the virus enters our body, it starts to reproduce. It is not only harmful to the infected but for the people around the affected person as well. However, avoiding this scene is possible if one follows all the safety measures and precautions. 

Guide on Commuting to the Office During Covid-19

Some best ways to avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19(1) while commuting or traveling to work are:

1. Avoid Touching Surfaces

Since many people are using public commutes regularly, the surfaces there might be infected. If you come into contact with any such contaminated surface, there are high chances of the virus contracting your body. This is why it is basically recommended to avoid touching surfaces at any public place while commuting. 

If your commuting takes a lot of time, you can sanitize the surface around your seat using a disinfectant. It will make your entire journey secure. Sanitizing the surface should not be done with bare hands. Try using the transportation medium that regularly sanitizes every surface properly. This will not let your clothes and your hands come in touch 

[Also Read: Disinfect Your Home and Car to Help Kill Coronavirus]

2. Gear-up With PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

Whenever you are going outside, ensure that you are geared up with PPE (personal protective equipment). These mainly include a pair of gloves and a face mask. Wearing these will keep your body’s most prone organs, that is, mouth and hands, secure from coming in touch with the virus.

Have at least a bunch of disposable gloves and a couple of masks ready while traveling to work. Once you return home, ensure that you clean the mask thoroughly in case it is washable. This will make it safe and ready to wear it the next morning.

Urge others around you as well as yourself to wear PPE. It will ensure the protection of everyone present in that place at that time.

3. Sanitize your hands

Once you have finished traveling and reaching the office or home, make sure that you clean your hands thoroughly. This way, if your hands are in touch with the virus, it will not be able to penetrate your body. Sanitizing will destroy the virus before it begins to harm you.

Avoid contacting anything when you are in a public area like railings, doorknobs, etc. Since the virus is widely prevalent, anything around you could be infected. For peace of mind and the precautions, keep applying the sanitizer to your hands from time to time. Do not forget to sanitize your hands thoroughly before and after a meal. 

[Also Read: Home Made Sanitizers to Kill Coronavirus]

4. Eat safely packed right food

Avoid eating street and unpacked food while traveling to work. It is preferable to take a water bottle, a lunch box, and other necessary snacks right from your home. The most reliable and safest food that you can eat is one that is made at your home.

This is essential because the workers who are serving and preparing the food in the streets and restaurants are not reliable, and the food isn’t safe to consume. Eating that may increase the danger of transmitting the coronavirus. 

On the other end, if you are commuting, then take only well-packed food products as far as possible. Even if you are visiting a food joint, ensure that all the guidelines are followed. Choose places where all cooks are wearing PPE. Do not be lethargic about the same as consuming contaminated food can lead to serious health complications. 

[Also Read: Is Food Delivery Safe during COVID-19]

5. Maintain enough distance

When you are commuting or traveling to work, try to maintain a proper distance. Do not stand near to the people if you are using public commutes. Avoid using public commutes that are overcrowded.

Always remember that the transmission of the virus is quite fast in a crowd. Stay away from the people who are continuously sneezing or coughing. There are likely chances of contracting an infection from those persons. 

If possible, try to avoid using public commutes. It is quite safe to commute or travel to your office through your own vehicle. There is a minimal risk of getting contaminated when you are using your vehicle.

But send your bike/car for sanitization and wash every week. It will ensure that your vehicle is virus-free. Do not let a new person enter your vehicle for the best safety and precautionary measures. 

Therefore, contacting any kind of surface while traveling must be strictly prohibited to be on the safer side.

[Also Read: Why Is Physical Distancing Necessary]

6. Drink only filtered water

There are multiple instances where people got transmitted from coronavirus due to polluted water. Therefore, when you leave for the workspace, make sure you carry a bottle of water. Do not drink water that you believe is not filtered.

If you feel thirsty while commuting and do not have purified water with you, always drink water from a packaged drinking water bottle. 

You may have to spend a penny to follow this, but all that amount will be worth using for your better health conditions. Do not hesitate to provide the water if someone near you is thirsty. Request them to sanitize their hands and then offer the water bottle.

This will be entirely safe and ensures that humanity is still alive, even in such a scenario. 

7. Spread awareness

While commuting, if you see a person moving or sitting around without wearing a mask, you must make him aware of it. Stand at a decent distance and tell them to wear a mask to make that safe for others in the surroundings and themselves.

All the people commuting with you must follow all safety measures and precautions. Currently, it is a criminal offense to roam outdoors without wearing a mask. 

Responsible citizens must spread awareness and point out such people. Therefore, spread awareness while commuting or traveling to work. Let the commuters, who are breaking the rules, know the adverse health consequences of breaking the violations. 

8. Boost your immunity

If you are frequently commuting, then make sure that you get vaccinated regularly. Although there is no vaccine to stay safe or to get cured of the coronavirus yet, you can always introduce some supplements and medications to your body that will build your immunity. These will make your body immune from any type of viruses and infections. 

[Also Read: Natural Ways To Support Immune System During COVID-19]

Bottom Line

Following the above-discussed ways to avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19 while commuting may be challenging for you in the starting stages, but with practice, you will get habituated to it. Soon, all these precautionary guidelines will become your habit. Just believe and do your part.

However, if you experience any covid symptoms, then do not wait for a second and get all the tests done.