Now, lockdown is ending, and life is coming on track. But the end of lockdown doesn’t mean the end of the virus. COVID-19 is still actively infecting thousands of people daily, many hundreds of people are dying due to COVID-19. It is very important to take precautions while going out for any reason. Social distancing is the core precaution along with wearing a mask to avoid getting infected by COVID-19. Hygiene is another core property to be taken care of always. Since coronavirus is too small to be seen through naked eyes, thus coronavirus is dangerous. Proper sanitization and health care are very important.
Whether we didn’t come into the contact of coronavirus directly but our clothes shoes and mask can. With clothes and shoes, the coronavirus may infect the house. It can infect yourself as well as family members always suggested to properly sanitize clothes and shoes after coming from some public places. Especially for health care workers, it is very important to take all the measures to stay safe. Some research finds that coronavirus can live on clothes and shoes, especially for some time, and thus measures should be taken care of in order to get rid of coronavirus (1).
The following points mentioned below shows the consequence of coronavirus on shoes and clothes:
- Coronavirus can live on the surface for a long time, and thus it could stay on shoes and clothes. If one takes proper care of social distancing, then it is not advised to wash the clothes immediately, but for health care workers taking extra care is of no harm. Washing clothes or even sanitizing shoes and clothes before entering the home. Coronavirus is more harmful to older adults and children. Thus it is better to sanitize yourself before entering the house.
- Study shoes that coronavirus can stay in the air for 3 hours, while on cardboard coronavirus can lie for 24 days. Coronavirus can stay on plastic and shoes for three days, which is quite a long period. There is no evidence that coronavirus exist on clothes. The buttons or metal or the plastic attached to clothes can have coronavirus and thus can infect anyone. The infection may spread from anywhere. Thus it is very important to take precautions.
- Sine shoes are dirty as compared to clothes and thus are more viable to carry bacteria and viruses altogether. A study shows that coronas virus can lie off the sole of shoes for almost three days, which is a very long period, and due to any reason if a person touches his shoes with a bare hand, the virus can come on to the hand of that individual. Without proper care, the hand can infect a person if he touches his eyes, nose, or mouth with the infected hand. Proper care is very important, although the daily activities could not be stopped anymore due to pandemic; basic sanitization could be taken care of completely.
- Shoes on the almirah or kitchen table can infect the places. From that place, children or even adults can get infected if they touch that point. And since coronavirus is a contiguous disease and even one member of a family could infect all the other people in the family and no one can predict who is going to get infected and to what extent the infection can affect a person. A person can even die if the infection gets worsened.
- Keeping proper hygiene is a difficult task and can consume some time as well, but life is the most important among all, and if little care and trouble can save an individual’s previous life, then the trouble is of no harm.
- The community shared laundry service; one must be careful to use to avoid any infection from clothes. Since at common laundry centers, firstly of all at public laundry centers, maintain social distancing is difficult. If a person sneezes or coughs, the chances of getting infected further increases. Thus, maintain the social distancing at the public laundry service. Secondly, the washing machine in use requires sanitation before placing clothes there because the clothes previously washed in the same washing machine could carry coronavirus with them. Thus, to avoid getting infected through clothes, proper care should be taken while using the common washing machine.
- Try to avoid putting shoes and clothes from place to place in the house. Try avoiding contact with the shoes and clothes without proper sanitization. Do sanitize all the products, clothes, shoes worn while going out. Do wash the clothes and sanitize them before bringing them in the house.
- With the ending of lockdown, the environment has become more susceptible to get infected. Thus, social distancing required and proper hand hygiene. It is also well known that coronavirus neutralizes by the use of a sanitizer having at least 75% of alcohol. Normal soap can also kill the coronavirus. Thus, coronavirus ceases to exist by keeping proper hand hygiene and sanitization. Sanitize mobile phones, keys, and all those products that are exposed outside with an infected individual. The grocery and other products should also be isolated and sanitized after bringing them to the house.
- It is also advised not to touch anything right after coming from a public place. Instead, washing hands changing and sanitizing clothes and shoes and then to touch anything inside the house to avoid infection.
- Plastics can retain the virus for a longer time as compared to fiber; thus, shoes are considered more dangerous than clothes in terms of spreading infection. And it can spread infection in a significant amount. With the advent of coronavirus, it is very important to stay safe with family and close ones. Even a small mistake can infect you and can even take your life away. Remain indoors possible, step out only for a very important reason. Exhibit the utmost care of social distancing. Avoid touching anything in public places, coming in contact with an unwell person, and stay away from a person who is sneezing or coughing. Also, try not to go out for unnecessary reasons, try your vehicle instead of the public vehicle because, in a public vehicle, fear of infection is more as compared to your vehicle.
Along with shoes, try to wear socks as well to avoid the spread of infection in the house. Try to leave the shoes out of the house and not bring them into the house. Wash the hand every time wearing shoes. But don’t wash the shoes because washing can take their shine away instead try sanitizing shoes with sanitizer.
Conclusion
Coronavirus is a deadly infection, affects the lungs of an individual to such an extent that the breathing becomes impossible. Coronavirus has taken more than 4 lakh lives to date, and the infection is still not under control. The coronavirus was spreading to a great extent and had taken many lives to date, and the infection is exponential in almost all the places; thus, precautions and safety measures are important.
The above facts bring the reflection that coronavirus can live on shoes for around three days and evidently on clothes for about one day, and a little carelessness can infect a person. The clothes and shoes which an individual wore while going out replace immediately soon after returning from the public places; they should be brought home after properly sanitizing them outside the house.
Especially children and older adults remain away from all the things which are susceptible to the virus because their immune system is comparatively weaker. If infected, they will not be able to fight with coronavirus. It is, therefore, important not to step out for unnecessary reasons, and if it went out, exhibit proper care to avoid infection. At last, take proper care and precautions to stay safe from coronavirus and keep yourself healthy and fit during this pandemic.