How often should you disinfect your house even if you are staying at home?

We should be disinfecting our homes daily to prevent the spread of COVID-19, even if we are practicing social-distancing and not leaving our homes, according to a doctor at the UNC School of Medicine.

"What you're trying to do is kill germs to prevent the spread of infection," said Dr. Alexa Mieses, assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine. "For that, you want to use something that contains either bleach or at least 70 percent isopropyl alcohol."

Mieses recommends using disinfecting wipes on things in your home because the virus can be passed on if it's on hard surfaces.

"Try to disinfect at least once daily, but even then I would limit the disinfecting to high-touch surfaces," said Mieses. "Things like doorknobs, light switches, door handles, even our cell phones carry a ton of germs."

Dr. Mieses also recommends disinfecting the surfaces you touch in your car.

"We actually come into contact with a lot of germs when we ride in our car and fill up with gas," said Mieses. "Anytime you're leaving the home, you want to make sure that you're washing your hands frequently."

She doesn't think we need to overthink the disinfection process, but we should remember that the coronavirus can make its way into our homes through unlikely pathways.

"I do think some extra precautions are needed, just to make sure that you and your loved ones are safe."
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