Need To Run A Simple Errand? Not So Simple Right Now With "The Virus" Lurking Everywhere

Dead trees and a derelict Deadrise. (click to enlarge)
Olympus E-M1 Mark II; 12-100mm f/4 PRO lens @ 66mm; 1/1000th sec. @ f/4; ISO 200

Need to run a simple errand?  Need to pick up a couple of things at the grocery store?  How about your vehicle needing gasoline?  These things used to be simple, a no-brainer.  Not so today during this pandemic with "stay at home" and "lock down" mandates.  If you have to run an “essential” errand and you don't think it through, you may increase your changes of acquiring the Covid-19 Coronavirus.  No one wants that to happen.  I think I can safely say that we all want this to pass as quickly as possible with as little illness and fewest deaths as possible.

I'll give you an example from my own life.  The other day I needed to have a prescription refilled.  As has been my custom, I use my independent neighborhood pharmacy where I've known the pharmacists and clerks for over twenty years.  I called in the prescription and told them I'd pick it up later in the day. 

Normally, I would just get into my car and drive the two miles to the pharmacy, go in, let them know I called in a prescription, insert my credit card then sign for my prescription, pick up the little bag and be on my way.  It is a small pharmacy and does not have a drive through window as does some of the major chains but going in and having a conversation with the pharmacist and clerks has always been a pleasant exchange.  They are really nice, friendly and helpful people.

Today?  Not so fast.  If I didn't think this through I could accidentally place myself in danger and I'm in the high risk group for worst case scenario outcomes if I acquire Covid-19.  What used to be a simple task now requires some strategic planning.

The first thing I did was think my way through the entire process.  I had to visualize, step-by-step, what would unfold and how I needed to deal with it?  Carefully planning is now the most important aspect of going out even for simple things.  By logically thinking through every step, one by one, what you envision will save you from finding yourself in a situation in which you really don't want to be.  As a less serious analogy, but one germane to all of us, it is like planning to go out to photograph a once in a lifetime famous landmark in perfect conditions bathed in perfect light.  You have to thoroughly think your way through what time to arrive, what to wear, what gear to bring, how the composition will be arranged and visualize what images you want to bring home.  If you don't, you risk miss creating your once in a lifetime photograph.

Here were my thoughts about what I expected to encounter...

1.   Drive to the pharmacy,

2.   Push open the pharmacy door,

3.   Approach the counter and advise them as to why I'm there,

4.   From past experience I know the prescription will be in a small amber bottle but   that bottle will be packaged inside of a small paper bag which will be stapled shut,

5.  I will have to sign for my prescription twice—once to acknowledge that I was the one who picked it up and once for payment,

6.  I will have to insert my credit card into the terminal, press buttons, remove my card as well as use the  electronic pen to sign,

7.  I will have to pick up or hold the bag in some manner,

8.  I will have to push the pharmacy door to leave,

9.  I will have to grab my vehicle’s key fob to unlock the door, 

10. I will have to open my vehicle’s door, touch all controls and drive home,

11. Once at home, I will have to safely open the stapled bag as it has been handled by at least 2 people ,if not more, and

12. I will have to get the small amber bottle containing the medication out of the bag and disinfect the bottle as it, too, has been handled by at least two people before putting it away.

Whew!  Talk about how things have gone from not even having to think about doing something to having to carefully accomplish even the simplest tasks while fully protecting oneself.  A huge change and adjustment!

  

So, what did I do?  After trying to logically think it through and mentally visualize each step, 

1.  I took a pair of nitrile disposable gloves with me.  I also took an old plastic grocery store bag that we had in our closet.  I put my credit card in my shirt pocket.

2.  I drove to the pharmacy not wearing the gloves.  I put them on after I exited my vehicle.  I placed the grocery bag in my right pocket.

3.  I pushed open the pharmacy door with my left gloved hand.  My plan was to keep the right one uncontaminated for as long as possible to be able to use it if I missed anticipating something and needed an uncontaminated hand.

4.  I approached the pharmacy counter and stood back at least 3 ft.  The clerks were at least 3-4 ft. back from the other side of the counter.  More than 6 ft. total.  Safe distance.

5.  Being that the clerks knew me, they retrieved my prescription and it was packaged exactly as expected.  With my right hand, I pulled the plastic grocery bag out of my right pocket.

6.  I asked the clerk to place their bag into my old plastic grocery bag.  I held the bag open with my right gloved, still uncontaminated hand.  I was holding the right side handle of the grocery bag.  The clerk dropped it in.  No touching required at this point.

7.  At this point I moved the grocery bag to my left, potentially contaminated hand but held the plastic bag by its other (left side) handle.  I then retrieved my credit card with my right, uncontaminated gloved hand and carefully inserted it into the credit card terminal, carefully avoiding touching it accidentally.

8.  Since the clerk has known me for years, she offered to press the buttons and sign for me.  I thought that a kind and thoughtful gesture for which I'm grateful as she made my experience easier, safer and better.  Thank you.

9.  I retrieved my credit card from the terminal, again, with my right, gloved  uncontaminated right hand and placed it back into my shirt pocket.

10.  I switched the bag back to my right hand (right uncontaminated handle), left the pharmacy, again, by using only my left gloved hand to push open the door.

11.  At this point, I set my bag on the ground, removed the left glove and disposed of it in a trash can (bin).  I then retrieved my key fob from my pocket and unlocked my vehicle's door.  I opened the door with bare left uncontaminated hand and placed the grocery bag on the floor on the passenger's side.  I kept the glove on my right hand since it was still uncontaminated and I try to conserve gloves as much as possible as they are not easily available.  I planned to use it again later in the process.

12.  I drove home.  I have a small, "triage" area setup in my garage for staging any packages, mail, foodstuffs, etc. to be sanitized before taking anything into our home.  I picked up the grocery bag from the floor with my right hand and dumped out the stapled pharmacy bag onto the garage floor.

13.  At that point, I stepped on part of the bag and used my right, still gloved hand to pull open the staples and then dump the prescription bottle onto the garage floor.  The right glove is now potentially contaminated for the first time.

14.  I have disinfectant wipes at my little "triage" station.  I removed one and disinfected the bottle.  At this point, I took the grocery bag and the pharmacy bag outside to large my trash can, carefully removed the glove from my right hand and disposed of all three items in the trash can.

Again, a completely new experience from "normal."

Now, you are probably thinking that what I did was overkill.  It might have been.  There might have been some steps that I could have skipped or done more efficiently.  However, remember, I'm in that "older" age group and I have lung issues so, if I catch this virus, this blog might come to an abrupt end!  I don't want that and I hope you don't as well.  I'm not ready to go to the great darkroom (or lightroom) in the sky.

Someone asked me how could I possibly think through everything as I had done.  Easy.  Almost forty years in law enforcement, with many years in high risk assignments which, if my actions were not thoroughly thought through, could have resulted in great harm to myself or others.

Complicated?  Yes?  Safe?  Yes?  Did I achieve my purpose without major risk?  Yes.  I would say mission accomplished!  

Now, I'm anxiously waiting for this to pass so life can revert to being a bit more simple.  How about you?

Join me over at my website, www.dennismook.com. 

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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