I spend a LOT of time in the grocery store ( I usually go to 4-5 stores a week to find deals) and this week I really paid more attention to my surroundings…and what I was touching while in the store.
Here’s what I realized & steps I took to protect myself (beyond basic hand washing and avoiding touching your face), especially after there was a confirmed case in my town today. And in fact- most of these make sense everyday not just during a pandemic.
And then I started getting emails from the grocery stores (like this Food Lion or Lidl one)
For the most up-to date information visit the WHO page on COVID-19.
*Disclaimer: Not a doctor and no infectious disease experience but here are some thoughts I had while shopping today.
UPDATE with Store Closings:
effective 3/15/2020 Harris Teeter stores are closing at 9 pm nightly.
effective 3/13/2020 Publix stores are closing at 8 pm nightly.
effective 3/6 Lowes Foods stores are closing at 10 pm and opening at 7 am.
Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods , Food Lion and Publix are no longer offering rainchecks on sales items.
Consider Online Grocery Shopping. Today, there are SO MANY options from Amazon Pantry to individual stores like Harris Teeter’s ExpressLane. That may keep you out of the store- but there were still lots of hands touching the products you bought so keep that in mind.
Shop during the slowest times. Right after work Monday- Friday or Sunday afternoons…those are the super crowded time at most stores. Shop at 8 am on Wednesday and you’ll find a virtually empty store. Type in the name and location of your store on Google and it will show you the busiest times.
Leave the Kids at Home. As a Mom of 4, shopping without the kids is always something I look forward to! No worrying about displays being knocked over or whining for candy but this is a real reason why you should go alone if at all possible.
Wipe down the cart handle. Most stores have wipes at the front of the store- so grab one BEFORE you grab a cart to wipe down the cart handle when you grab it. If you grab a cart first- you may be transferring germs TO your hand and then back on the cart…after you wipe it down.
Watch your Phone. I’m terrible at laying my phone down anywhere…but according to WHO we don’t know how long the virus can stay on surfaces…which means your phone could potentially pick it up off surfaces in the store.
Watch what you touch. I caught myself touching the edge of the deli cooler today, the edge of the check out belt and the edges of the meat coolers. Thankfully I had hand sanitizer in my purse and made sure to keep my hands to myself!
Bring Clean Tissues or Wipes. I Love that those freezers have doors now (why cool the entire store to keep that ice cream frozen?) but that is a lot of surfaces that a lot of hands have been touching. The same applies to the bulk bin lids. Bring something to create a barrier between you and that surface.
Keep Space. According to WHO, we should aim for at least 6 feet away from others while in public- so don’t crowd around that cheap pasta sauce or the shopper checking out in front of you.
Avoid Cash. Your credit card is probably a better bet than cash for avoiding germs- since less hands have been touching it. Need to sign a paper receipt? Consider using your own pen. Use Hand sanitizer or wipes once done using the keypad….lots of people touch those! Even better if you can use Apple Pay or Google Pay and avoid touching the keypad at all!
Clean your hands before you get in the car. You don’t want to bring the germs into your car…and onto the steering wheel so as soon as you put the cart away….use hand sanitizer BEFORE open your car door.
Remember all the hands that touch the products on the shelf. You might feel you made it out of the store without coming into contact with anyone sneezing or coughing….but that might be a NEW box of cereal…but it’s not necessarily CLEAN. The outside of that box or can could have been handled by multiple different hands.
When Does Harris Teeter restock? When does Food Lion restock?
Honestly there is no current answer for this. Trucks are off schedule and not bringing everything ordered yet.
*disclaimer: NOT a doctor or medical professional..just some grocery shopper’s observations.
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