Since March 14, Spain has been under a state of alarm, a situation that is likely to last until mid-May. With few exceptions, the population has become aware of the situation and the streets are empty, there are almost no vehicles on the roads and countless stores and establishments remain closed.
The exception? The exception is the basic necessities stores, such as pharmacies and supermarkets. The fact that these businesses remain open has generated – especially during the first weeks of confinement – a certain anxiety to buy basic necessities, as well as long queues to get into the different establishments. However, going for medicine or shopping is not free from the risk of contracting the coronavirus. Thus, the following are some guidelines on how to make the purchase with the minimum of risks.
Who should go shopping?
First of all, outings should be limited as much as possible. There is no point in taking extreme precautions if we go down to the supermarket every day. It is advisable to shop once or twice a week, planning purchases in the medium term and thus limiting unnecessary outings. At the same time, it should be mentioned that only healthy people or those who know for sure that they have not been exposed to COVID-19 in the last few days are allowed to go out of the house.
In this line, it is important to control both our own possible symptoms and the symptoms of those around us, with special attention to respiratory symptoms, fever and dry cough. In turn, as the virus affects to a greater extent older people and those with important pathologies or with an impaired immune system; it is recommended that these people do not go out to do the shopping, and if they have a relative or friend who can do the shopping for them, all the better.
To date, there is no evidence of any relationship between food and coronavirus. Thus, food as such is not a source of infection, but if its packaging has been handled incorrectly and without respecting the rules, it could be a means of transmission of COVID-19.
Should I wear gloves and masks if I go shopping?
There has been a lot of controversy about the need to protect yourself with masks and plastic gloves every time you go out of the house. Initially, the institutions informed that it was not necessary to protect oneself with masks and gloves, but that the most important thing was to maintain good hand hygiene and avoid bringing them to the face, especially to the eyes and mouth.
Recently, however, the public has been urged to protect themselves by wearing gloves and masks when stocking up on basic necessities.
Tips and guidelines when shopping for groceries
In most supermarkets measures have been taken, such as limiting the maximum capacity, forcing the use of gloves to enter the establishment and queues at the cash register with more than one meter of separation between customers. At the same time, plastic gloves and antiseptic gels have been provided for customers to use before they start shopping in the store.
It is possible that when you approach a supermarket, its entrance is temporarily closed because the number of people inside has reached the maximum recommended number, so you may have to queue in the immediate vicinity. In this queue you should avoid contact and maintain at least one meter of security.
Of course, the use of plastic gloves and a mask is recommended, as this could prevent the spread of the disease.
It is also advisable to make payments by card, avoiding the use of cash, since this is a potential source of infection, as it passes through different hands in a very short time. At the same time, it is known that the coronavirus can remain active after several days in these objects.
In some places, such as in the fresh produce area, there may be more people. In these cases, caution and patience are recommended to avoid unwanted contact. Keeping a safe distance from other customers and staff is essential.
Every effort should be made to avoid touching or, of course, lowering the mask while we are outside. In this line, you should try to be as conscious as possible of everything you touch while you are in the supermarket. In addition, you should not take off your gloves while you are in a store.
In many cases, consumers take advantage of their time in the store to make a phone call while shopping. We must be aware that, when we are shopping with a cart or basket and we touch the cell phone, we can transmit the disease to the aforementioned object.
What to do when you get home?
In recent days there has been a lot of talk about whether you should wash your clothes immediately when you get home from the supermarket, whether you should disinfect your products, whether you should take a shower as soon as you get home…. Nothing could be further from the truth, the first thing to do when you get home is to wash your hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds. Another option is to use an antiseptic disinfectant gel.
Once the packaging has been removed, it is again recommended to wash your hands and clean the surfaces they have been on. It will not be necessary to clean each product separately.
To summarize; the recommendations are to avoid as much as possible the outings, but in those indispensable ones, it is necessary to take extreme precautions to avoid contagion and to wash hands constantly with water and soap.