By DARLENE VANN / Headline Surfer Blog: Musings
EDGEWATER, Fla. -- I was watching CBS Sunday Morning and they had a segment on of all things public restrooms. It was done in the context of how they need to change due to COVID-19.
I had not even considered this aspect of the virus, have you? Currently in men’s rooms they have yellow tape in a big X across every other urinal. They are posting people to be sure men wash their hands. Washing their hands presents even more problems to work out. All public restrooms now need touchless water faucets, no blow dryers and ways to dispense paper towels that are safe.
They need to take a towel and turn faucet off and use same towel to dry their hands and then another to use trying to open the door to get out and then what do they do with that towel?
Women’s rooms already have separated stalls but we have the problem of having to open a door to get into the restroom, another to open the stall door then another to close stall door. There needs to be towel dispensers inside the stalls to have something to use on the handle to get out. There needs to be touchless water faucets and towel setups in there also.
Not many people think to turn off faucet after taking a towel to dry their hands, men or women. If you have done all that and figured out how to get out of the restroom you still have neglected one thing you have no control over which is the “plume” as they call it that throws droplets into the air when toilets are flushed.
How do we fix that?
I worked in a health care facility for 15 years and we had many mandatory meetings regarding infection control. Nurses who taught these sessions had us laughing about how hard it was for them to use public restrooms and all the crazy solutions for the things I have mentioned above.
Therefore, I was aware of most of what I saw today, but honestly did not think about it in relation to COVID-19. It just points out how all consuming this entire thing is.
Therefore, I was aware of most of what I saw today, but honestly did not think about it in relation to COVID-19. It just points out how all consuming this entire thing is.
Those “plumes” that were spoken of are at play in our own homes as well. Most of us have hand towels hanging by the sink for drying our hands and everyone uses the same one. That needs to change.
How we wash dishes, dry dishes and clean the kitchen counters and how often we clean door knobs has to change.
Most people do not think about lysoling the door handles to bathroom and front doors inside and out or light switches that everyone touches. It is all so overwhelming just trying to keep your whole family safe and we haven’t even talked about cars or public transportation yet. It is all so mind blowing.
Our lives will never be the same. Even when this virus has gone the changes will remain in place.
Hopefully, we all can readjust so that things feel normal again someday.
Being a senior citizen I can tell you change is not so easy for me. I have to beware of repair persons who have to come into my home, the people who deliver my groceries and if those groceries themselves need to be sanitized somehow that won’t poison me. It just never ends.
I pretty much do not leave the house because I am compromised but I have to go to doctor appointments who now all have rules about not being in the waiting room until your exact time and do not bring anyone with you. What about people who cannot manage on their own?
I am having my will drawn by an attorney which we will do over the phone, but then have to go there to sign the papers and have them notarized. I need to go to my hair stylist for a trim and a perm, but having to try to breathe through a mask for close to three hours is going to be a real trial for me since I have breathing troubles most days.
I have had allergies for years and scar tissue has built up so breathing through my nose is difficult; then cover my mouth, too and I will be depleted of oxygen. I have been too afraid to make the appointment.
