Do a shopping list, check the time you will spend shopping and distance to the supermarket Define for how many days you need to buy food; Create a meal menu and make a list. Buy only what you need; Decide when you go shopping and try to go alone, unless you need to help a dependent person.; Wash your hands before leaving home. Try to do your shopping when there are fewer people; Always be at 1,5 m (five feet) away from anyone; While you wait for your turn on the street keep a distance of 1,5 m from the person in front of you; If you have to take an elevator or escalators to access the supermarket, keep the same safe distance from the next person. What to do at the supermarket Note if the aisles are clean and that store workers are protected; Do your shopping in the shortest time possible; It is better to use your bag than supermarket baskets or trolleys. If you have to use them, try to disinfect the areas where you have to hold them; You should not touch food without gloves; Remember that after entering the supermarket or store, you should not touch your face, nose or eyes until you get home and disinfect your hands; Try not to talk towards fresh food to avoid transmit droplets; If you cough, do it for your forearm and stay away from food to avoid contaminate it; Do not moisten your fingers with your lips to open plastic bags. Rub the bags until you can open them. The time to pay your items In the checkout line to pay, remember that you must keep a distance of 1,5 m from other people but also from the cashier operator; Notice if the cashier operator sanitize the carpets in the boxes where they place and scan the groceries for payment; Try not to use money. Coins are a means of transmitting microorganisms. The new coronavirus survives about four hours on coins; Use your credit or debit card to pay for what you buy; Put your groceries in the bags you took from home, remember not to touch your face; Get out, keeping a distance of 1,5 m from other people. At home, how to organize your groceries? Wash your hands thoroughly and take out the food from the bags onto a clean and disinfected surface, preferably with a little bleach diluted with water; Reusable shopping bags must also be sanitized; If you are going to freeze food, do it quickly to prevent the spread of bacteria; Always wash fruits and vegetables under running water. If you use disinfectant liquid for food, remember that you will then have to rinse it under running water to eliminate waste; Cooking food well is one of the safest ways to avoid contagion by microorganisms; When handling raw food it is very important that your hands and surfaces are clean before and after handling and that they are never exposed to contamination. The same goes for bread placed on a table or fruit in a fruit bowl that must be covered. What about the items I ordered online? It is necessary to take the same precautions when handling bags with purchases or parcel packages (the new coronavirus remains active on the card for 24 hours) and keep a distance of 1,5 m from the person who delivers the purchases; Also make sure that the delivery person is protected with gloves and a mask and has alcohol disinfectant gel. References World Health Organization El País newspaper Direção-Geral da Saúde Click here for more information and advice of Hospital da Luz about the novel coronavírus COVID-19 epidemic . The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
