"You've been stuck at home for weeks without any trips outside or visitors. Then suddenly, the toilet breaks down. The dishwasher starts making grinding noises, the sink begins to leak, or in our case, we woke up to no internet connection. You realize it's time to bring in some outside help.
While we always try to avoid it, sometimes there's just no other choice but to invite someone into your home. Sure, now is a great time to learn some basic handy skills—you can accomplish a lot with just a few simple tools and YouTube tutorials—but if you can't handle it yourself, you'll need to prepare to welcome a couple of guests.
Here’s what you should know:
First and foremost, you must assume that everyone is infected, even if they don't appear sick. Many cases of COVID-19 are asymptomatic, and people can spread the virus before showing any symptoms.
Social distancing is key to preventing transmission, so make sure everyone else leaves the house while the worker is present.
You’ll also need to think about ways to mitigate potential viral particles in the air, given that airborne transmission is a significant mode of SARS-CoV-2 spread. The virus can linger in the air for up to three hours.
Surface contamination is another concern, so have a plan to clean and disinfect surfaces that the visitor might touch.
And while less common, you should also consider potential risks from feces and shoes, so plan accordingly if you want to go the extra mile.
It’s essential to negotiate safety protocols with the person before they arrive. Let them know that it’s as much for their protection as it is for yours.
This advice comes with a few caveats. First, many people may feel offended by being treated like potential carriers, so try to be tactful but firm. Remember, these precautions are not just for your family’s safety but also for the worker’s.
Secondly, and most importantly, the tips in this article are merely mitigation strategies, not foolproof ways to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. The best thing is to avoid letting strangers into your house altogether.
Let’s talk about breathing—yours and theirs. The primary way SARS-CoV-2 spreads is through the air. A study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that the virus can survive in the air for up to three hours.
To limit potential viral particles in the air, you can:
1. Maintain distance: Your safest bet is to stay as far away from the visitor as possible. Ideally, you and your family should leave the house while they work. However, if that’s not feasible, send out anyone who can to minimize exposure. If that’s not practical, isolate them in another part of the house with closed doors.
2. Aim for at least six feet of distance between you and the visitor at all times, although some experts argue that this distance may not be sufficient to avoid SARS-CoV-2 spread.
Even if you leave the house while the worker is there, remember that it’s not necessarily safe when you return. Virus particles could accumulate in enclosed spaces over time.
Next, consider face coverings. Besides keeping your distance, you need to think about the total amount of potentially infected droplets released into the air. Insist that visitors wear masks while in your home, and everyone in your household should also wear masks during the visit.
Ideally, these should be N95 respirators, but realistically, they’re nearly impossible to obtain right now. If you make masks using the instructions we provided, consider making extras to give to guests. However, remember that the masks themselves should be treated as contaminated after use and disposed of in the washing machine or disinfected.
As I mentioned in my guide to DIY mask resources, there’s ongoing debate about how effective face coverings are at reducing SARS-CoV-2 spread. The takeaway is this: masks help, but they’re not a perfect solution.
Ventilation is another critical factor. Open windows and turn on fans to circulate air. Ideally, you want to push stale air out and bring fresh air in. Consider setting up an air purifier with a HEPA filter in the area where the visitor will spend most of their time. While Wirecutter found it might be helpful, it shouldn’t be your primary defense.
Lastly, consider the duration. Since the virus can survive in the air for up to three hours, it would be ideal to keep the house empty for at least that long after the visitor leaves. If that’s not possible, keep everyone out of the rooms the visitor used for at least three hours.
Now, let’s talk about surfaces. After air contamination, you need to worry about surface contamination. Coronavirus on hands can transfer to surfaces, and respiratory droplets expelled by talking or coughing can settle on surfaces and remain infectious for hours or even days.
After your guests leave, decontaminate as many surfaces as possible in the areas they visited. Focus on surfaces they might have touched, but also disinfect larger surfaces like tables, countertops, and the floor.
The EPA and Wirecutter both offer lists of effective disinfectants against SARS-CoV-2, but here’s a simplified version of common options:
- 70% or higher rubbing alcohol
- Clorox disinfectant wipes
- Lysol spray
- Bleach. Mix four teaspoons per quart of water.
The CDC provides a guide for cleaning and disinfecting your home.
Another often-overlooked vector of transmission is feces. According to the CDC, fecal transmission is possible but unlikely.
If guests need to use your restroom, treat it like any other room—ventilate and sanitize it as best you can.
Shoes can also be a concern. Ideally, all guests should remove their shoes before entering your home to avoid spreading bacteria and viruses. It’s especially important now that studies suggest the soles of shoes can carry the coronavirus.
However, it might not be realistic to expect workers or others who frequently move in and out to go shoeless. An alternative is to provide disposable shoe covers. Some of our team keeps a box of these by the door for this purpose.
You could also have guests disinfect their shoes, particularly the soles, with a spray cleaner. Spraying a disinfectant blend on the soles of guests' shoes before they enter your home for the first time ensures they’re not tracking in anything they picked up elsewhere.
Finally, here’s an example of how to put all this advice into practice:
1. When you contact the person you need to come over, discuss mitigation measures like social distancing and mask usage to ensure they agree.
2. Figure out where they need to go and, if possible, close off and lock doors they shouldn’t access. Open windows and turn on fans in the areas they’ll be in.
3. When the time comes, leave with your family and either leave a door unlocked or a key in a visible spot. Disinfect the key before and after!
4. Place a bottle of disinfectant by the door and ask them to clean their shoes, especially the soles, before entering.
5. Offer them a mask if you can spare one and ask them to wear it indoors.
6. Have them call you when they’re finished. Pay them electronically, by mail, or leave a check in a spot they can retrieve it.
7. Stay out of the house for at least three hours after the guest leaves.
8. Return, and ideally, enter the house alone and wearing a mask to minimize exposure.
9. Mop the floor with a diluted bleach solution and disinfect all large surfaces and items the guest touched.
10. Wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
Of course, this is an ideal scenario and may not always be practical. Still, the core principles remain the same: keep a distance, wear protective gear when possible, and disinfect surfaces.
Remember, these are mitigation strategies. None of them is a guaranteed solution, but combined, they can significantly lower your risk of infection."
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