The COVID-19 pandemic has caused huge disruption, impacting healthcare, jobs and our daily lives. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but at TEA+ we believe creating a routine makes big changes much easier. This is an opportunity to build a new routine, focused on hygiene and health.

So with cases of COVID-19 rising again, here’s a reminder of the simple measures and personal changes we can make to stop the spread of the virus.

What is COVID-19?

Let’s start with the basics. COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, has a wide range of symptoms, causing a mild cold for some people and a serious illness for others. A key indicator of COVID-19 infection is a dry, persistent cough. While this is the most common symptom, COVID-19 also includes:

• A high temperature
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell
• Muscle aches
• Sore throat
• Fatigue

New symptoms are added to the list as research into COVID-19 continues. However, there is no need to panic, as there are some easy steps to avoid becoming infected and make sure we don’t spread COVID-19 to our family and friends.

How do we stop COVID-19 spreading?

According to the NHS, the best ways to prevent being exposed to the virus are staying at home as much as possible, wearing a face mask in public places and washing your hands frequently. So how do we change our daily routine to stop COVID-19 spreading?

1. Stay at home
Is a weekly shop part of your routine? Instead of going to the supermarket once a week to stock up on food, get into the routine of ordering online and opt for home delivery. This helps you avoid visiting a crowded supermarket and may save you time!

2. Wear a mask
To make it easier to remember to take your face mask with you when you leave the house, keep it near the door! Checking you have your mask will become part of your leaving-the-house routine: Keys? ✔️ Wallet? ✔️ Mask? ✔️

3. Wash your hands
We were all in the routine of washing our hands frequently, but during the pandemic it’s important to wash them more often and for longer. Build this into your routine by using fancy soap - so hand washing seems like a treat not a chore! Time to open the guest soap...

While new guidelines can be confusing, and the pandemic may seem never-ending, following social distancing rules and remembering to wash our hands as much as possible makes a huge difference.

How have you changed your routine?