Precautionary measures to be taken before, during and after shopping

Muscat: Health shopping is a comprehensive concept that may include secure shopping. However, health shopping is focused on healthy food, while the secure shopping is focused on taking precautionary measures to prevent the infection such as the payment method, dealing with procurement and shopping cart, as well as maintain the distance of safety.

On the other hand, E-shopping is the best way of shopping due to not touching the cash and reduced significantly the contact with others.

The most important actions for infection prevention during shopping include washing or disinfecting your hands before entering the shopping mall, make sure the shopping cart is disinfected and do not touch the unneeded items.

You can take your own shopping bags and fill the bag with your stuff so that the seller cannot touch the bag. Wash your hands thoroughly by water and soap before and after shopping. Maintain a distance of two meters at least between you and others. Avoid shopping at crowded times.

It is advised to assign one member of the family for shopping. Elder people, pregnant and children are not allowed to go shopping. It is better to pay via the credit card as much as possible. The cashier should sterilize his/her hands after accounting each customer.

When you arrive at the house after shopping and before opening the shopping bags, it is most appropriate first to wash your hands with water and soap and then open the bags.

Another person should remove the items from inside the shopping bags after he/ she washes his/ her hands. Otherwise, make sure to not put the same hands that have touched the shopping bags from outside to inside but flip the bag upside-down to display the items on a clean surface.

Dismiss the shopping bags immediately and wash your hands afterwards. It is preferred to wash the tinned products such as beans and others before storing them in the kitchen.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the National Health Service recommend washing the raw eaten fruits and vegetables under running water only, however using brushes to clean them and refrigerate them under low temperatures.

With regards to the shoes, to avoid the spread of infection through the footwear, it is preferred to keep them outside the house at the front door and disinfect them by using the diluted chlorine or household bleach (adding 10ml to 15 ml of household bleach to a 1 litre of water) and spray on any surfaces need to disinfect.