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How to Thrive in the “New Normal”

Many of us are still looking forward to returning to our old pre-pandemic lives and routines, However, with the changes COVID-19 brought into our lives, we all know that life post-pandemic will never be the same.

The change that has taken place is now our “New Normal.” Our lifestyle, routine, and social life have all been altered as we adapt to isolation and lockdown to stay safe from the virus.

Unlike other viruses and diseases that have no cure, COVID-19 is a lot more contagious and infectious, which is why the changes we have to make in our lives are much higher. It will be difficult, but we have to live in the “New Normal” as long as we haven’t found a cure for COVID-19. Another thing to consider is that the virus is mutating, this only means that our new normal will keep changing. We have to adapt quickly to survive.

Adjustment is a process, we have to be patient and flexible when deciding on our usual affairs at home and outside. Here are tips that we can follow to adhere to proper “New Normal” protocols:

1. Reducing vulnerability through healthy lifestyle


In our homes, workplace & school
  • Maintaining a healthy diet
  • Hydrating always
  • Exercising regularly
  • Communicating with family & friends

 

2. Reduce virus transmissions


In our homes
  • Washing your hands regularly
  • Disinfecting your home regularly
  • Providing proper ventilation in areas around the home
In the workplace

For employees

  • Practicing proper hand hygiene and cough etiquette regularly
  • Wearing face masks & PPEs when necessary
  • Avoid borrowing office items
  • Avoid sharing of meals
  • Performing regular disinfection

For employers

  • Performing regular disinfection of work stations, rooms, and common areas
  • Providing hygiene facilities
  • Maintaining proper ventilation in rooms and common areas
  • Providing face masks when necessary to the nature of the job, individual PPEs

 

In School

For teachers, students, and other school staff:

  • Avoid borrowing school and office items
  • Practicing constant hand hygiene
  • Covering your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing
  • Wearing a face mask for the duration of your stay in school
  • Staying at home if experiencing symptoms
  • Avoid sharing meals

For school administrators

  • Including infection prevention measures in the curriculum
  • Setting a handwashing schedule for all teachers, students, and other school staff
  • Making hygiene facilities available\
  • Maintaining proper ventilation in classrooms, work stations, and common areas
  • Maintaining a clean and decluttered environment
  • Providing PPEs and training for school health personnel

 

3. Reduce Contact


In our homes
  • Staying at home
  • Practicing social distancing
In the workplace

For employees:

  • Working from home when possible
  • Practicing physical distancing when reporting in the office

For employers:

  • Offering work from home arrangements
  • Avoiding big meetings and mass gatherings
In schools

For teachers, students, and other school staff:

  • Practicing physical distancing
  • Adopting alternative learning methods that lessens contact time in school

For school administrators:

  • Discouraging big group activities, meetings, and mass gatherings
  • Offering alternative curriculum delivery modes such as modular learning or online classes

 

4. Reduce Infection Duration


In our homes
  • Managing mild symptoms at home
  • Reporting to Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) for severe symptoms
In the workplace

For employees:

  • Undergoing a regular physical examination
  • Immediately managing mild symptoms at home
  • Reporting to Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) for severe symptoms

For employers:

  • Providing regular physical examination for employees
  • Encouraging employees with symptoms to stay at home
  • Isolating employees with symptoms and refer to the nearest hospital, clinic, or health service provider.
In school

For teachers, students, and other school staff:

  • Undergoing a regular physical examination
  • Immediately managing mild symptoms at home
  • Reporting to Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) for severe symptoms

For school administrators:

  • Providing regular physical examination for students and personnel
  • Encouraging students and personnel symptoms to stay at home
  • Isolating student or personnel with symptoms and refer to the nearest hospital, clinic, or health service provider.

 

5. Ensure Governance and Accountability


In our homes
  • Setting up a “New Normal” house rules
In the workplace

Employers should formulate policies on:

  • Work from home
  • Healthy lifestyle in the office
  • Provision and wearing of PPEs
  • Scheduling disinfection of work stations\
  • Temporary housing facilities\
  • Ensuring effectiveness of in-house medical teams
In school

School administrators should formulate policies on:

  • Alternative learning
  • Implementation of a healthy lifestyle in the school
  • Provision and wearing of PPEs for school staff and health personnel
  • Emergency response training
  • Scheduling disinfection of classrooms and work stations
  • Ensuring the effectiveness of school health teams
  • Sick leave of symptomatic school staff
  • Class attendance of symptomatic students

Source: http://ritm.gov.ph/