1. Follow the 5-second rule
Legend has it that if the food fell on the floor, but a piece of it was picked up before 5 seconds, you can safely eat it. Because microorganisms are not that fast and won't have time to crawl onto your sandwich or apple in such a short time.
Alas, in fact, even a second is enough for them - so say the results of research. And the longer an object is in contact with germs, the more of them will collect on its surface. So food that has fallen on the floor should be washed. And if you can't do that, throw it away.
2. Touching a door handle through your sleeve
The idea of creating a barrier between your skin and a potentially contaminated surface is a good one. But using your own clothes for this purpose is not the best option. Dirt, bacteria and viruses that were on the doorknob end up on your sleeve and then come into easy contact with your wrists and palms, face, hair, phone, purse and so on.
So instead of sleeves it is better to use something that you can immediately throw away, such as a napkin. But be sure to folded several times - otherwise the dirt (and with it germs) will simply be absorbed into the paper and end up on your skin. And yes, it's still better to wash your hands after touching something in a public place.
3. pressing the elevator button with your elbow or knuckles
It's pretty much the same story as the previous point. It only seems that this way we don't touch anything and germs from buttons, knobs and doors can't harm us. But, for example, the strap of a bag or a pocket of clothes can easily be caught by our elbows, and we also put them on the table and then touch it with our hands.
From the knuckles, dirt and germs can easily get onto the palms and face - when one clenches hands into fists, intertwines fingers, props up the chin, rubs one hand over the other, and so on.
In short, the recommendation with the napkin would be appropriate here as well. Or you can press the buttons calmly with your fingers, and when you come home or to work, immediately wash your hands.
4. Hold your breath if someone sneezes or coughs nearby
This will not protect you from infection (if the person sneezing is sick). First of all, you just can't hold your breath fast enough - and the tiny droplets of saliva and phlegm will still get into your airways (yes, it sounds very nasty, but, alas, it's true).
And secondly, your nose isn't the only gateway through which the infection enters your body: germs can get into your eyes or on your lips. You can slightly reduce the risk of infection by wearing a mask and keeping a distance of at least 1.5-2 meters with people around you.
5. Wipe surfaces with an antibacterial wipe.
This only works if you use a new wipe for each surface. And if you wipe the same table, door handles, switches and buttons, you are simply transferring microorganisms from one object to another. After all, the longer you use the wipe, the less antibacterial agent is left on it - and the germs have a better chance of surviving.
6. Continuously smear your hands with antiseptic
It seems that antiseptic is a universal and 100% means of protection. Clean your hands with it, apply it to everything you can - and you're sitting "in the house". But antiseptics only work when used correctly.
They are no substitute for water, soap, or cleaning products. And on dirty surfaces, the effectiveness of antiseptics is much lower than on clean surfaces. At the same time a person is sure that he is protected, and calmly touches his eyes, mouth and nose with his hands, kindly helping the surviving germs to penetrate his body.
So if you have the opportunity to first wipe the skin with a damp napkin, it is better to do so - and only after that apply antiseptic. By the way, you should not get addicted to antiseptics, either: using them too often leads to the emergence of resistance in microorganisms.
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