According to an article at NPR where virologists & other scientists were interviewed, clothing, food packaging, cardboard & plastic are less of a concern because the virus loses viability on these surfaces. If I worked in a hospital, I would treat my body, clothing, car interior, etc. as infected because I would be working in an enclosed contaminated environment.

I have searched & haven't found anything about the viability of respiratory droplets outdoors especially on a windy day (where I live it’s usually windy). All of the tests were done in laboratory conditions.

Frequent handwashing, wiping down the shopping cart before use & wearing a mask in an enclosed space with strangers are recommended. You can leave cardboard packages outdoors for 24 hrs to be on the safe side. I can’t because I have no porch but I have left them inside by the door.

I think the best we can do is frequent handwashing, wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing.

It is hard. It is stressful. I have a friend w/ a heart condition who is particularly stressed.

On the bright side: Flu avoidance will be a breeze this year and flu incidences should be
down! B

Yes! It's exhausting just trying to keep all the pieces in place. In my house we do seem to have figured out a good system for the mail. It only works if you're not expecting anything urgent to arrive.

Steps:
1. Head out to the mailbox across the street, slipping on outdoor shoes, and leaving the front door slightly ajar.

2. Take mail out of the box, sort on walk back to the house.

3. Discard recyclables in bin on the way back to the house (our bin is at the end of the driveway)

4. Kick shoes off and use shoulder to open and close the front door

5. Immediately take mail into spare bedroom, where I have labeled six pieces of paper with the days of the week, placing them in a row on the bed. (No Sunday)

6. Put the day's mail in the appropriate spot next to the day of the week (hopefully one can remember what the heck day of the week it is!), to remain for three days.

7. Go into bathroom and wash hands.

At any point in any day, I can go in and retrieve the mail from three days (or more) earlier and safely open it. So - that means our mail is running three days behind schedule, but mostly it's bills that can then be paid, as well as magazines or other non urgent stuff.

We also do this with any boxes that arrive via UPS. That part is almost kind of fun, because by the time we can open any given box, we've likely forgotten what might be in it, so there's a bit of a surprise element. Not too many good surprises these days, so I'll take what I can get.

I worry about virus on things intermittently but have decided I am not going through this routine of disinfecting bags, packages, and mail, and food. I wash my hands after unpacking the groceries. And I have worked on not touching my face with my hands. I do have my groceries delivered now because in California they asked us to stay in if at all possible. I think we could all drive ourselves completely nuts worrying about virus lurking everywhere. I think it is fine to wear gloves and masks when going to the store or pharmacy or any place where you are in more of a crowd and keep distance from people outside.

I signed up for USPS Informed Delivery so that I can see ahead
of time whether it's worth a walk up to mailbox.

If I go out to fetch mail or garden/yardwork. I don a large long sleeved hooded smock (over clothes)which I keep stored in a sack between washings.

I wear a washable mask-- mostly to protect from pollen and remind passing neighbors.

I keep disinfectant spray by the door way for delivered packages, door knobs, light switch
and shoes/boots on the shoe tray.

I read the NPR article last week and try to go by it without all the disinfecting of packing. And Salinda has an excellent point on privledge.

I stand corrected, I was too general in my “people are evil” comment. I know that on the whole, there’s more good than bad. But I still hope the jerk who made the bad decision to spit on his building’s elevator buttons gets his sorry butt booted out into the street.

Salinda points out something that I think about a lot -- privilege -- and how it's involved in almost every scenario of our lives and what that means. It's not that I expect those who have the means to not avoid all possible exposure, it's just that it's so blatant how many people are unable to avoid it, and that's rather painful to process again and again and not be able to do more about it. Although prayer saying and tear-shedding are easily and often done, sometimes good deeds are still possible, too. Some places have been set up around my town and I'm sure others, for accepting drive up donations of baby supplies (especially diapers and wipes -- think about having to add that into the mix of your worries) food (we've probably all seen pictures of ridiculously long lines of vehicles at some food pantries recently) and other basics that it's so easy to take for granted if you either don't need or are able to secure easily.

Personally, on the prevention continuum I'm probably somewhere in the middle, not taking such extreme measures as some describe here, but quarantining, wearing a mask and gloves when I venture out about once a week and washing my hands fairly regularly, but I don't wash my clothing just because I've gone out, or sanitize my mail.

I'm with Deborah.

Last post, promise! After looking around online, Ronni is..........natch...........right on target about the virus bacteria on shoes (soles mostly) and clothing. Drat. Don't yet know what I'll be doing with the info, it'll take a day or so for this to sort out. Thanks, Ronni.

I will stand corrected as well ...it is Sweden , not Norway that didn't lockdown.

I got a good laugh reading everyone's "system" for doing the best we can to stay healthy.

Like most, (and especially with a high risk husband), I hand wash, use gloves and a mask when I grocery shop, and then follow up with the "leave packaged food in the garage for 24 hours" routine along with the shoes, etc.

Whenever I get stressed about all this stuff, I remind myself that with everything I go through to keep the virus at bay, I need to continue to be grateful I'm not in a hospital connected to a ventilator with health care workers that are putting their lives on the line without the protective equipment they need desperately.

Let's keep it all in perspective.

IMHO we need the kind of testing that was done in China before anyone talks about opening up the country. My sincere wish is that the Idiot-in-Chief just shut up because he does more harm than good. Where is that cane that used to come out in cartoons to hook the guy off the stage? Why are we not manufacturing millions of tests?

One favor I did for myself pre virus, was to do auto pay for monthly bills. That stops snail mail(regular). More and more I see vendors, my local agencies etc. offering online ways to pay invoices etc. Can do by credit card, direct link to bank account. The tech world has wanted us to go paperless and I've jumped on. I know when,dates, my credit card statements arrive so that's when I check mail box. No need to check daily, most is junk mail which never makes it way into the house. I don't correspond with anyone via mail, all done on internet ,cell phone in some manner. Many of the niceties of life have gone bye bye for me and I'm good with that. I use Amazon for just about anything, including foods for delivery. Since I live in the northeast, much of what I do, has been a habit anyway. Winter here,ice and snow keeps me in.. gratefully I've set up my other options.

It indeed does take constant thinking to manage how we stay healthy these strange days. But another concern is how the residents of a community will survive financially if they are working for small retailers, restaurants, and other services. Please buy locally. A phone call to order from a small business can help it survive. Amazon does not care if your local stores ever open again. And you could get delivery to your door, happy to have your business. I quit watching prices to make sure our small local businesses reopen whenever they can do safely.

Guess we each decide what we’re comfortable doing or not doing. I, too, consider the 6 ft distance possibly inadequate as Vagebonde’s nurse Dtr described, and based on articles I read, so I consider the environment I’m willing to go into. That said, I have not been in any store for weeks since before the general rush for groceries. Am beginning to use pickup, will try delivery (especially if free or not too expensive.). When I go outside at home or to my car I wear a mask. I do occasionally frequent a select few drive thrus, can use Pharma for free delivery, another with Drive thru.

Had to get gas and in Calif. we only have self-serve, so miss full serve. I wore gloves which I removed and trashed before getting back in car, grasped credit card by edges, then dropped in env in plastic bag which had env — also had 2nd env with my drivers lic, AAA card and 2nd cr cd, just in case of reject which happened. I don’t carry purse any more either. Will allow those cr cds I used to remain untouched for a few days just as I do my mail which I’ve grasped between a disposable paper napkin or piece of paper towel to retrieve from box.

Cardboard pkgs are rolled or carried inside to remain untouched for days. Lots of hand washing, occasional hand sanitizer but use sparingly as don’t have much. Don’t touch banana peel, using disposable napkin or piece paper towel to hold then trash peel. Went to ATM, same care with that card as cr cd, used piece of paper towel when touching keys/screen — process took longer as less sensitive to touch — may try using a bit of disposable thinner Saran Wrap over finger another time. Need to save my gloves as have limited supply. No doubt I’m slipping up in a variety of ways but could be crazy-making for me otherwise.

I know you don’t allow links, but a good article on that we are overdoing the grocery cleaning is from NPR. called "No you don’t need to disinfect your groceries, but here’s how to shop safely."

Who is to know what is overkill and what is protecting yourself. You must do everything in your power to stay safe. Nobody will do it for you. You are a sensible woman with common sense. You are taking proper steps to keep yourself away from infection. Hang in there Ronni :-)

Yes, to make it all more convoluted, I am still in a nursing home.

Unlike the other "Katie" above, I obsessively read everything I can get my hands and eyes on, pertaining to this virus (although I totally get the "irrationally defiant" thing she mentions and have gone that route many times in my life over other issues. But not this time. This time I'm coolly and rationally gathering every bit of credible evidence I can find, to help with good decision-making, to help stay alive. For my children; for my three shy cats who adore me and vice versa...who would never be okay again should I die. That probably sounds nutty, but it's nonetheless true).

I'm Canadian and I've never before been so grateful that this is so. Every morning I listen to our Prime Minister give his calm, science-based updates on the latest measures to help Canadians survive this pandemic, both medically and economically. Every afternoon, I listen to our top medical health officer on the west coast give her calm, gentle, reassuring updates on where we are in our Province on "flattening the curve"...the most successful in Canada so far, because of early intervention. That's not bragging, it's just a tribute to science-based decision-making. And as she humbly points out, a degree of good luck.

And every day I read the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian (UK edition) to find out what is happening elsewhere. And then I weep for all the suffering around the world. For all the suffering that could have been prevented if only humans were more wise and less arrogant. I marvel at the raw courage of health care workers facing a possible horrific death every day of their lives, in order to be there for their patients. Would I have that kind of courage? I'm not at all sure that I would, unless it was for the family members I adore. I'm humbled all over again by people who are braver than I.

I grieve for the refugee camps, helpless to help themselves; for the poor, forced to work in horrific and dangerous conditions. I try to think of how the hell I can help all those so much less fortunate than lucky me, and make my meager attempts to compensate with donations to organizations I know to be legitimate and compassionate.

I have a long-time friend who lives on a remote island "up the coast" from where I'm located. She emails me that everything is pretty much normal there. That she still goes kayaking with her daughter; still goes for daily walks with her best friend; still has the occasional wiener roast around a roaring fire with friends. She writes that "this is the best place to be". I'm astonished, but not remotely envious. I wouldn't want to be separated from this time. I want my heart and mind to be totally engaged with what we are going through as a species on this earth, right now. I want to be aware of all our possibilities, both the good and the horrifying, for changing ourselves and the way we interact both with each other and with every other living thing with which we share this planet.

In the early mornings, I step outside and breathe in the cool quiet morning air and listen to the birdsong and am always amazed at how normal everything on the earth is, except for the humans. The robins are nesting, the chickadees are singing their upbeat little song, the flowers are bursting out of the ground, the sunrise is as glorious as ever. It's as though they're comforting the anguished humans who have caused this mess. And they forgive us our myopic stupidity.