Tech Tip - Traveling Safe in the COVID Era
I typically dedicate the first Tuesday of each month to technology tips, but I thought I would stretch that definition a little this month and cover several low tech ways to stay safe in our current environment when traveling is necessary. There are new technologies being built to help contact trace, clean surfaces and devices, to know where outbreaks are occurring. I expect in the coming months, we’ll see many innovations that will help create additional safety levels or to share important information.
As retail leaders, it is necessary for travel to occur in order to do our jobs and stay connected with our teams. We are seeing a resurgence in coronavirus cases throughout the country and this will likely be a pattern for the foreseeable future. Whenever possible, remaining home and limiting your travel is the best way to prevent the spread of the disease and keep yourself safe. Using virtual visits and alternatives to in-person store visits and meetings is ideal, but not always possible. Here are some ways to stay safe in a coronavirus world.
Wear a mask
This is the number one thing you can do for yourself (and others) if you have to be out and around several other people. It may not always be the most popular thing, but it is the most prudent action you can take to keep everyone safe. You can have some fun with this too. There are now many different styles and fun patterns that can be found on masks. Make it a conversation starter.
Limit the number of locations
Contact tracing is important in case you or anyone in your locations becomes ill. Planning your visits and limiting where you go each day can help to ensure you know where you’ve been and when. This is a good practice anyway. It ensures you have a purpose to visit those locations. If you need to check in with your teams, using virtual visits and phone calls can be just as productive as an in-person visit in many cases.
Check your destination ahead of time
If you are traveling out of state, make sure you can travel there and that mandatory quarantines are not required. There are more restrictions on traveling domestically than ever before. Many of these are set up as self-managed restrictions, but they are in place to help reduce the spread of the disease and to keep everyone as safe as possible. Avoid traveling to areas that are currently or have recently seen spikes in coronavirus cases. Remember in many instances people are not aware they are sick, yet can spread the germs that cause the virus.
Keep gloves available
It is a good idea to travel with several pairs of disposable gloves as well. While I would not advocate for wearing them all the time, they certainly can be useful in specific situations. While you’re cleaning surfaces, or if you are in unfamiliar areas where cleaning has not occurred or not possible, they can be a source of protection. Remember though, gloves still require the same diligence in avoiding touching your face or others as when you are not wearing gloves. It is equally important you follow the proper removal and disposal guidelines to ensure you do not contaminate yourself when you are taking the gloves off. You can see the CDC guideline on glove removal here.
UV lights
Portable UV lights have increased in popularity and can provide some additional protection in killing viruses. There are several devices that can be purchased that make sense for traveling. There are wand based UV lights that can be used to pass over objects, even the bed in your hotel. These will not replace the need for other protections, but they can be another source of defense when traveling outside your home. Devices that allow you to cleanse your phone or other small objects handled daily could be a good investment if you are frequently in areas where your devices are out and subjected to others around you.
Wipes
Travel packets of wipes are returning to stock in many stores now and are an absolute must for anyone that is doing a lot of traveling. Airlines, hotels, and rental car companies are all marketing their cleaning efforts. And while I am certain that planes, trains, and automobiles are cleaner than they ever have been, that doesn't mean they are free from germs. Use your disinfectant wipes for every surface you will be sitting on or touching for extended periods of time.
Pack differently
Packing for trips may need to be a little different as well. In the past, it may have been OK to plan on re-wearing certain clothes multiple times on a longer trip. Now, ensure that you will have clean clothes for each day. It might be advantageous to bring plastic bags to keep your clothes in before you wear them (while in a drawer), and then use those plastic bags for your dirty clothes at the end of the day. Your shoes can collect a lot of germs throughout the day as well. Keep these separate from everything else at the end of each day. If you have multiple pairs of shoes, you may want to place these in disposable plastic bags while in your suitcase as well.
Drive if you can
Whenever you can control your own environment, the better. This may mean taking more road-based trips than you would have in the past. You can put this time to good use by listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or catching up on phone calls. Having a plan for what you want to accomplish during your windshield time can turn those extra road miles into productive time.
Eat outside
When it comes to meals, look for opportunities to eat outside and find as much space between other people as possible. In most cases, the virus spreads best when people are in closed areas and exposed to the same environment for extended periods of time. If you are working with other people as part of your travel, this might be a great opportunity to turn lunch or dinner into a picnic and have some fun with the chance to sit outside and still be safe.
These are several ideas that can help you if or when you need to travel as part of our retail world. There are still many unknown factors regarding COVID-19 and the more precautions we can all take, the better it is for everyone. Perhaps the lowest-tech solution I can offer is the need to remember to wash your hands often and thoroughly (this is Alton Brown showing you how to properly wash your hands - plus it's kinda funny to watch). A technology solution is in the works for that now as well - Apple introduced the handwashing feature for the upcoming Apple WatchOS. Your watch will ‘hear’ the water running and sense your motion for hand washing and will complete a twenty-second countdown to ensure you get your hands good and clean.
Stay well, travel safe.
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