Keeping Yourself Safe When You Leave The House

So, when this started, say you stocked up and started your quarantine adventure with a full fridge and plenty of supplies for day-to-day use. Well, now that the weeks have passed, it’s time to head to the store. Or maybe you just cannot stomach another home-cooked meal and need a change. When is it safe to go shopping, or order food from somewhere? We have a few tips to help you out!

Wash Your Hands

Ideally, we would all stay indoors at all times until the virus stops spreading and numbers begin to decline. Unfortunately, for a myriad of reasons this simply isn’t possible for many of us, especially essential employees serving our community, providing food, medical care and services, and more. Before you leave the house, and as soon as you return home, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds using warm water and soap. Make sure you reach the back of your hands and your fingertips, areas often neglected when we wash our hands. Some people wear gloves when going out, and while they may make you feel better, the disease is spread through droplets in the air and on surfaces, which means the gloves could become contaminated and if you touch your face or other common surfaces, you still spread COVID-19. Washing hands, social distancing (staying six feet away from others at all times), and not touching your face are the best ways to protect yourself!

Do I Need a Mask?

For the last couple months, the Centers for Disease Control has not recommended wearing masks. Now, they have reversed this decision and encourage people to wear masks when they leave the house. The masks help reduce the chances of breathing in droplets containing the virus. However, a caveat. You should wear a mask, but not a medical one. Why? Well, nurses and doctors around the country are in dire need of masks and PPEs, which means if you manage to snag medical-grade masks, you’re essentially denying them to healthcare professionals in desperate need of protection.

Fortunately, the CDC released a handy guide for creating your own masks! These options are all no-sew, and made from household materials like shirts, bandanas, and coffee filters. The masks should be breathable, easy to remove without touching your nose, mouth, or eyes, and should be easy to wash (and you should wash them after an outdoors excursion).

Limit Shopping

When you go shopping, make sure only one member of the family goes at a time, and buy essentials. Don’t grab surpluses of toilet paper or disinfectant wipes, as you could prevent others in your community from buying them. If you need to shop, or order food and drinks, be sure you shop local to support area businesses! If you want fresh food and amazing coffee, remember that not only is our drive through open seven days a week for take-out and to-go orders, but you can also order delivery through the GrubHub, DoorDASH, Seamless, and Chomp apps. We’re also able to cater food for essential businesses in need of a meal, and we follow strict health and safety guidelines when preparing food!

Stop By or Order Delivery!

We’re still open and still here to offer residents food with fresh ingredients and delicious slow-roasted coffee. Dunn Brothers Coffee is still operating our drive-through for take-out and to-go, plus we’re catering as well for essential employees and first responders looking for a delicious lunch or breakfast. If you have any questions about menu or health and safety guidelines, you can contact Dunn Brothers Coffee in Coralville, IA at 319-665-2020.