Use a paper towel to touch door handles, social distance, and wear a mask.
The coronavirus is out and about, you are out and about. What is the best way to stay safe when nature calls?
Being able to go use your own toilet at home is usually the safest bet. (This is, as long as no one in your home has COVID-19). If you really need to take a leak while shopping however, there are ways to navigate a public restroom that could help you avoid contracting the new coronavirus. Nothing is foolproof. There are some simple rules, however. If the restroom you are considering using is totally packed with people, avoid it. Try to find another one in the area. If you cannot and you have some time to spare, consider finding someplace to sit and waiting it out. The line may diminish.
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When entering, wear your mask, and gloves, if you have them. If you do not have disposable gloves, use a paper napkin, a paper towel, or a wipe to touch door handles. This includes the handle on the restroom’s outside door. If you do not have gloves or a paper towel, use your shirt to cover your hand as you open doors. Once you have used the restroom, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly. If you need to touch another door handle to exit, again, use a paper towel to do so, or use hand sanitizer once outside, to clean your hands again.
In addition to all this, if there are floor markings in the restroom to encourage social distancing, adhere to them. This can also keep you and others safe. If there are not any markings, be aware of your surroundings and keep a solid six feet or two meters from all others. If this is not possible, go someplace else, because where you are presents a high-risk area.
It is always good practice to carry some hand sanitizer with you when going out during the pandemic. A very small bottle will fit in a large pocket. A bigger one can fit in a purse or bag. Apply the sanitizer after touching any shared surfaces.
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It can be reassuring to know that cleaning services are being instructed to sanitize surfaces more often, in the presence of the virus. In Canada, for example, busy highway roadside stops with restrooms were cleaned about once every hour, pre-pandemic. Now reports indicate they are being cleaned every twenty minutes. It is also somewhat calming to know that your risk of contracting the coronavirus from a public restroom is probably smaller than the risk of getting it from a chair in a restaurant.
Claire Cupples, an emeritus professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia says, “On a scale of one to 10, I’d put washrooms at maybe a three or four.” Studies show restaurant trays and seats carry more bacteria and viruses than high-contact surfaces in public restrooms, she says.
Wear a mask when you are out. Avoid crowded areas, especially indoors, and wash your hands often.
photo credits: Iryna_Kolesova/Shutterstock.com
