So, your move is complicated by concern over the novel coronavirus? Follow these tips to increase your safety and sanity.

Moving into Your New Home While Concerned About COVID-19

Social distancing

We are all recommended to spend as little time around people outside our immediate families as possible. Your workplace and your children's school may be closed, so you may already be forced to engage in some aspects of social distancing. Many places are shutting down and events are being cancelled to keep people from having to intermingle.

If you haven't already, buy enough of the essentials to make it so you can go out shopping a minimal number of times.

When you do have to go out, try to stay 3-6 feet away from other people, cover your sneezes and coughs with your bent elbow or a tissue, wash your hands often and for 20 seconds, and do not touch your face. When it is not reasonable to wash your hands, you can kill germs with hand sanitizer.

Put off buying unnecessary items for the home for the time being. 

COVID-19 Transmission in the Home

The novel coronavirus is most commonly spread from person-to-person contact, when someone is sneezing, coughing, or otherwise releasing infected respiratory fluids within 3-6 feet of you.

That being said, it is quite possible for you to get the disease from coming into contact with the virus living on surfaces. And the virus might live anywhere from hours to days on different surfaces. The experts are still unclear on this. It is wise to limit the potential for getting COVID-19 from contact with objects by sanitizing whatever is reasonable.

Focus on regularly cleaning frequently touched surfaces, such as:

·  doorknobs

·  remotes

·  tables and desks

·  countertops

·  toilet handles and faucets

·  electronic devices

The CDC offers detailed advice on sanitizing the home.

Relax and be safe

Give yourself more time to do what needs to be done to protect yourself from COVID-19 and keep your stress as low as possible during this trying time. You want to leave plenty of space in your life to relax.

Do:

·  unpack only the essentials (for the home and items you'll be using to keep yourself sane while at home so much).

·  put off unnecessary household tasks and projects that may require shopping or stress.

·  concentrate on self-care and positive experiences to reduce stress.

You have already completed several of the hardest steps of the move. Give yourself some time to finish the rest when things are more normal.