In the Face of Uncertainty Surrounding Public Health, A New Survey Captures Current Cleaning Practices
Across the country, many states are entering new phases of reduced social-distancing in response to COVID-19. This return to “normal” brings relief as Americans return to work, play, and daily life. However, unanswered questions surrounding the coronavirus raises the question: Are we ready yet?
Certainly, one determinant in the nation’s readiness to tackle increased activity during the pandemic is cleanliness. Cleaning and hygiene maintained by individuals impact the health of entire communities into which they re-enter. Fortunately, while the state of future health is frightfully unknown, new statistics from Homes.com help capture this important predictor, the status of current individuals’ cleanliness.
To start, the survey found that almost 60% of Americans have cleaned more since sheltering in place. Even further, nearly 90% have washed their hands more since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Truly, these rudimentary clean habits might make a difference, so much so that even the New York Times shared an article on how people can properly wash their hands.
On top of this, more unusual behaviors surrounding sanitation may also provide hope for a healthier future. A surprising 46% of Americans surveyed wipe down their groceries or let them sit before using them, even though the FDA has said that this isn’t necessary. Even if it isn’t necessary, extra cleanliness may be just what it takes to fight the coronavirus.
On the other hand, some less-than-clean behaviors add to the future of the coronavirus more worrisome. The survey responses indicated that more than a third of Americans have not disinfected their homes with CDC-approved products homes since the coronavirus began. This concerning statistic comes with the accompanying fact that 40% of Americans haven’t found disinfectant cleaning supplies at stores during the pandemic. These numbers are troubling, and with experts saying that shelves will continue to be empty, the future of cleanliness is uncertain.
The disparate cleanliness behaviors above seem to indicate that Americans are trying to maintain cleanliness, but are being hindered by outside factors. Perhaps, to best understand what the future holds in terms of health and sanitation during the coronavirus, future studies will have to analyze efforts to increase the availability of cleaning supplies in months to come.
The full survey findings can be viewed here, but the future of COVID-19 in our country is truly unpredictable.
