4 year anniversary of COVID-19: lessons learned, best protective products – Reviewed

While COVID-19 emerged in late 2019 (hence the name), its been about four years since the virus become a global pandemic. Whether you feel like it was just yesterday or a lifetime ago, a great many lessons were imparted to us throughout the experience and its up to us to do our part in learning from it and taking proper precautions in the future from viruses such as COVID, RSV, influenza, and norovirus.

While COVID-19 is no longer considered a public health emergency, its still out there. Here are things weve learned from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and health professionals about COVID-19 and similar viruses.

The first American case was reported on January 20, 2020. The outbreak was officially declared a national emergency in the U.S. on March 13, 2020.

One professional we spoke to was Susan Hassig, Associate Professor Emerita of Epidemiology at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. When we asked her opinion on what positive behavioral changes the pandemic brought about, she mentioned the continued use of masks in public by at-risk populations.

I suspect that many people are still being a bit cautious about going into large group settings for extended periods of time, Hassig says.

Hassigs optimism is tempered by the negative behaviors that she and other health professionals have observed, particularly when it comes to the vaccine rate not being where they would like it to be, including among at-risk populations.

Masks remain one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from getting sick with COVID-19, though it took us a bit to figure out exactly what types of masks wereand were noteffective. Various doodads such as face shields and gaiter masks were used by many in the early months of the pandemic before being phased out as their inefficacy was exposed. Cloth masks, in particular, rose in popularity due to how customizable they were, and were widely used for a year before it was revealed that they, too, arent the most effective in blocking germs.

Today's gold standard in safe masking is an N95 or a KN95 mask. The names come from their effectiveness, as they can filter 95% of particles responsible for the spread of airborne diseases. We learned through this experience that it's important to wary of fake KN95 and N95 masks. One of the best tells for fake KN95 masks is the brand advertising a mask as being NIOSH- or FDA-approved. Genuine KN95 masks will also have a serial number printed on them, beginning with the letters GB.

WWDOLL KN95 Face Mask 25 Pack

Genuine KN95 and N95 maks are the best shields against COVID-19.

We learned that one way that COVID-19 can spread is through contaminated surfaces that contain viral droplets. You can inadvertently touch these droplets and get sick by touching your hands to your face or an open cut. To avoid this, disinfectant spray can be used to clean these high-contact areas. However, its important to use a spray that is listed on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)s list of disinfectants that are confirmed to kill coronavirus. What's more, the disinfectant must be applied by following the instructions on the label or must sit on the surface it's being applied to for at least 10 minutes to be most effective.

Lysol Disinfectant Handi-Pack Wipes

Disinfect surfaces properly with these wipes.

As stated, COVID-19 and similar viruses can be contracted when you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with your hands after encountering viral particles. While this can be mitigated by disinfecting surfaces, Professor Hassig prioritizes the importance of hand washing, noting that its much easier to simply clean your hands in a pinch rather than disinfect surfaces thoroughly.

The proper way to keep your hands clean is to wash them thoroughly. This involves rinsing your hands with warm water, lathering them with soap for 20 seconds (or roughly the length of time it takes to sing the Alphabet Song or Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and then rinsing your hands with warm water.

Softsoap Liquid Hand Soap

Lather your hands for 20 seconds.

While the CDC prioritizes using soap and water to disinfect hands, it suggests the use of hand sanitizer when soap and water isnt available. In 2020, DIY hand sanitizer was all the rage because of the hand sanitizer shortage, but before you go and jerry-rig your own sanitizer, you should know it needs to be at least 60% alcohol. If you dont want to figure out how to ensure your own hand sanitizer is at least 60%, we suggest buying portable, pre-made hand sanitizer that will disinfect your hands in a pinch. Just read the label for its alcohol content before purchasing.

Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer Refreshing Gel

Use hand sanitizer made with at least 60% alcohol.

The CDC recently released new COVID-19 guidelines that reduce the amount of time you need to isolate when exposed to the virus. While the time needed to isolate is shortened, Hassig stresses the importance of still isolating for either five days or as long as a person is symptomatic, which she notes will probably last around the same amount of time.

To know when to isolate, its important to know when youre displaying symptoms. One common symptom is running a fever, which is defined by the CDC as a temperature of 100.4F or higher). Other symptoms, across variants, include:

Forehead thermometer

A fever is one of the more common symptoms of COVID-19.

The only way to know for sure whether you have COVID-19 is by taking a COVID-specific test. Fortunately, in the years since the pandemic first broke out, at-home tests have become widely available.

COVID-19 Antigen Self Test

Testing is the only surefire way to determine if you have COVID-19.

Another way to filter the air you breathe is by using an air purifier. Professor Susan Hassig identifies air filters as one of the most effective ways to clean an area of COVID-19 particulates.

Its recommended by the CDC to place filters where someone is isolating or where someone high-risk resides, if applicable. In particular, they recommend the use of air purifiers with HEPA filters, as they satisfy the highest standard of efficiency when it comes to improving the air in your home.

BLUEAIR Air Purifiers

Air purifiers are one of the most effective ways to rid an area of COVID-19 particulates.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

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4 year anniversary of COVID-19: lessons learned, best protective products - Reviewed