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Posts Tagged ‘Outdoor safety’

Staying Safe While Enjoying Summer. By Our Student Pharmacist, Stephanie Brokaw.

Precautions to Take During the Ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic:

As various businesses and recreational facilities begin and continue to open as we approach summer, it is important to remember that there are still new cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations occurring related to the disease. Regardless of what activities you engage in this summer, it is important to keep in mind various safety tips needed to keep yourself and your families safe.

Some of these safety recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) include:

  • Continue to practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet apart from people you do not live with.
  • Use facial coverings when possible, especially when maintaining 6 feet distances from other individuals may be difficult.
  • When visiting public spaces like restaurants, call ahead to make a reservation (when applicable) to avoid long wait times and increasing your exposure to other people who may be asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19.
  • If you experience symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat, avoid public places and public transportation.
  • Utilize services such as online ordering, delivery, and curbside pick-up for essential items or ask someone outside of your household who is not experiencing symptoms to obtain essential items for you and drop them off on your doorstep.
  • Wash your hands often especially after coughing and sneezing.
  • Clean high-touch surfaces daily.
  • It is safe to return to public spaces if you have been three days without a fever and symptoms have improved and ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared.

Pool Safety:

Some tips by the CDC specific to staying safe from COVID-19 in public swimming pools include:

  • Wash your hands before entering the facility and often during your visit.
  • Use facial coverings when possible (but do NOT use them while in the water, as it is difficult to breath through them when they are wet).
  • Although it has been shown COVID-19 cannot be spread through water, maintain a 6-foot distance from those in pools with whom you do not live.

Do not forget about other pool safety tips such as maintaining adequate hydration and protecting yourself from harmful UV radiation.

Ways to protect yourself from UV radiation include:

  • Cover your skin with clothing when possible. Darker colors may offer more UV protection than lighter colors.
  • When you cannot cover areas of the skin, use broad spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher. Reapply sunscreen every two hours or sooner if swimming or sweating. Some makeup and lip balms may also contain sun protective properties.
  • Wear a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, ears, and back of neck. Darker colored hats may offer more protection. Avoid straw hats as they have holes that can permit sunlight to penetrate.
  • Wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays.

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Outdoor Safety:

Physical activity is still very important to engage in despite the pandemic because of the positive effects associated with physical and mental health.

Some tips by the CDC specific for staying safe in parks and other outdoor recreational facilities include:

  • Visit parks close to your home to cut down on any unnecessary travel breaks which could put you at risk of encountering facilities or people who may be infected with COVID-19.
  • Before you leave, check if the park you are planning to visit has restroom facilities open. Regardless, use the restroom at your home before traveling to decrease contact with surfaces in public places. Carry hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes into these public facilities whenever possible.

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In addition to the sun protection methods above, when visiting outdoor recreational facilities, such as parks, it is important to protect yourself against bugs that can transmit disease such as mosquitos and ticks.

Ways to protect yourself include:

  • Cover your skin as much as possible.
  • Use an EPA-approved insect repellant.
  • Pre-treat clothing with permethrin.

Your community pharmacist is a great resource for more information regarding safety against COVID-19, UV radiation, and protection from mosquitos and ticks. Stop by one of our locations for more information and assistance in over-the-counter (OTC) product selection for your upcoming activities.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/sun-safety.htm#:~:text=Put%20on%20broad%20spectrum%20sunscreen,options%20to%20prevent%20UV%20damage.

https://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/prevent-mosquito-bites.html#:~:text=To%20protect%20yourself%20against%20diseases,evaluated%20the%20product%20for%20effectiveness.

Photo references:

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cssrc/news/zika-virus-resources-and-info-cdc

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