As New York City adjusts to the post-COVID-19 world, more people are going back to the office. If you are one of them, you may be wondering how to do so safely; after all, while New York has done comparatively well at controlling the spread of the virus, the pandemic is far from over.
The first thing to remember, says Dana S. Mazo, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Infectious Disease) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and physician lead for Infection Prevention at Mount Sinai Queens, is that the skills we need to safely go back to the office are the same ones we’ve been practicing since New York was the pandemic’s epicenter in March.
In this Q & A, Dr. Mazo provides salient advice for those returning to the office in addition to the basic tools of social distancing, wearing a face covering, avoiding face touching, and hand washing.
I commute using a cab/car service. How can I ride safely?
First, everyone in the vehicle should wear a mask for the entire ride. To improve the air flow, keep the windows open if possible and, if you need to turn on the air conditioning, don’t recirculate the air as that will only spread germs.
The virus can also be spread by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your face—especially the mouth, nose or eyes. To prevent this from happening, you should sanitize your hands and/or use antiseptic wipes on frequently touched surfaces especially before handling your own belongings or face.
If you are the passenger, be sure to use hand sanitizer soon after you first get in the car when you will have just touched the door handles, seat belt and possibly window controls. Then, try not to touch anything during the trip—especially your face—and use hand sanitizer, if you do. If possible, use a contactless payment option. When you leave, and again have to touch seat belts and door handles, don’t forget to again use hand sanitizer as soon as possible and definitely before touching your belongings or face.
If you are the driver, or you share your car, be sure to sanitize the steering wheel, dashboard, gear shift, and any other frequently touched surfaces. As an extra step to help keep passengers and our city safe, use a wipe to clean between passengers, pay special attention to highly touched surfaces such as interior door handles and seat belts. Make sure to sanitize your hands after touching anything the passenger may have touched. And, if you use valet parking, remember to sanitize everything the valet may have touched before you start for home.
Finally, if you are sharing a car with someone outside your household “bubble,” you will need to be especially cautious since you will have to sit close to that person in an enclosed space for presumably more than 10-15 minutes. Even if you are both wearing face coverings, there is still some risk; although much less than if one of you were not masked. Are you willing to be at risk from everyone that person has had contact with? Remember, it’s not just the car mate, it’s also everyone they interact with. If you don’t want to take on that risk, sharing a car becomes more complicated.
Should I take special precautions when using public transportation?
While you may be nervous about public transportation, just keep using the same public health tools you have been practicing. The most important step is to wear a face covering and to walk away from someone who is not wearing one.
These days, subways and trains are less crowded than they used to be, so social distancing is less difficult than it would have been at the start of the year. Stand apart from others on the subway or train platform or at the bus stop.
Try to avoid touching the handrails on stairs or escalators, the turnstiles, the gate—or anything else, for that matter. Opt for contactless payment whenever possible. While onboard, don’t touch anything if you don’t have to—sanitize your hands immediately if you need to push a button, pull a cord, or touch a pole—and try to keep at least six feet of space between you and anyone else. When you are settled in your seat, you can sanitize your hands just in case. Remember to hit the hand sanitizer again once you’re back on the sidewalk, and, when you get to your building, sanitize again if you must push or pull a door open.
How do I deal with my anxiety about going back to the office?
Anxiety is normal. We are in the middle of an international crisis; this is not business as usual. Remember, you have been practicing social distancing, mask wearing, and hand sanitizing for months now. These skills will now be applied to a new situation: commuting and the office environment. The key is to plan ahead and stay vigilant. To protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19, you must assume everyone around you may be an asymptomatic carrier of the virus.
And, if you feel sick, stay home. If you start to feel sick on your way to work, go back home. If you start to feel sick when you’re at the office, pack up your stuff and go home. Given the dangerousness and high communicability of COVID-19, this is not the time to tough it out.