LibGuides: COVID-19 Resources: Stop The Spread

How Can I help "Stop The Spread"?

Help Protect Yourself and Others | COVID-19 |

How to Protect Yourself & Others [CDC]
CDC Resource page with tips and resources. Available to download in multiple languages.

Help Protect Yourself and Others (English)

Below are some great tips to keep a lot of germs (not just COVID-19!) away:

Practice respiratory etiquette
- Cover coughs, sneezes, and nose blowing.
Toss used tissues ASAP directly into the trash.
Wash hands after sneezing, coughing, or touching used tissues.
- In addition, wash hands before preparing foods, after using the restroom, or changing a diaper.
- Check out the hand washing tab for videos and a step-by-step how to properly wash your hands.
Use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol if hand washing is not possible.
Wash your hands if you touched anyone sneezing, coughing, or blowing their nose.
Do not touch your face or eat food with unwashed hands.
Do not share items such as food, utensils, drinks, towels, or lipstick with others.
Stay home if you have a fever and cough.
Wear a face mask in closed areas (a car, train, bus, waiting room, etc.) to stop the spread of germs if you are sick.
- If you are not sick, or caring for a sick person, you should not wear a mask.

Sources:

Handwashing in Communities: Clean Hands Save Lives [CDC]
Center for Disease Control and Prevention's page supporting Hand Hygiene, Available in Spanish.
Handwashing in Communities: Health Promotion Materials [CDC]
CDC page providing variety of resources to help you learn more about keeping hands clean and preventing illnesses.

Check out the below for an infographic on how to clean your hands using a 20-second lyric from your favorite song. Visit https://washyourlyrics.com/ to create your own personalized hand washing poster based on your favorite lyrics.

And for a video of the WHO Technique in action (sans Rick Astley lyrics) check out the below:

No, You Don't Need To Disinfect Your Groceries. But Here's How To Shop Safely [NPR]
Written in 2020, this article still has useful tips: avoid crowds and shop quickly; Go alone; Sanitize carts and hands; and more. Check out the article for full list of safety tips.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Food safety and nutrition [WHO]
2020 Q & A from the World Health Organization (WHO) which covered questions like "Can the virus that causes COVID-19 live on the surface of food packaging?" and "Is it safe to go to grocery stores and other food markets?"
Shopping for Food During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Information for Consumers [FDA]
U.S. Food & Drug Administration page which offers 12 tips for grocery shopping during the Pandemic.
Available in Spanish, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Home [CDC]
Cleaning with a household cleaner that contains soap or detergent reduces the amount of germs on surfaces and decreases risk of infection from surfaces. In most situations, cleaning alone removes most virus particles on surfaces. Disinfection to reduce transmission of COVID-19 at home is likely not needed unless someone in your home is sick or if someone who is positive for COVID-19 has been in your home within the last 24 hours. Use this guide to help determine when and how to clean/disinfect your home.

Last updated on May 20, 2025 2:24 PM