Serious question. I live by myself. If I don't leave my house

[sinkingfeeling]

and no one comes inside it, why would I have to disinfect surfaces? The only things I can think of that would require disinfecting would be my mail and food packaging. Right or wrong?

[hlthe2b]

1. Yes. Anything you bring into the house. Of course should you become sick, surfaces could remain

contaminated for days (at least). If you do go out with others or into a building with others, your contaminated hands/clothing can spread to surfaces. So, toss the clothes in the wash (if someone might have sneezed on you or just for the extra precaution) and wash/sanitize hands before and after entering. Wipe down the cans and package you purchased with alcohol or wipes (soap and water, or similar).

[TreasonousBastard]

2. I would say you don't. No rules ever cover every eventuality. Besides...

there's good info on just how long the virus lasts on various packaging materils.

[Raven]

3. I'm in your situation except I do leave the house (less so now). I think

you have it right...disinfect anything new that comes in. Keep using your common sense, it's working so far.

[Cirque du So-What]

4. I am not an epidemiologist

but it sounds like you’ll be safe from Coronavirus - although you must be wary of anything brought into your home. Still, keeping surfaces clean saves your immune system from a lot of hassle, so you’ll be better prepared if you must venture outside.

[GoCubsGo]

6. It's not just this virus you need to worry about.

You are not as isolated as you think. Your food potentially has things on it that could make you really sick, like Salmonella and E. coli. Produce, meat and poultry, and eggs are big culprits, as far as that goes. Some of those pathogens might also be on your produce. You could wash it off, but it's till going to sit around in your sink, and maybe spread to your countertops...

You'll also want to disinfect your bathroom regularly. The contents of your toilet aerosolize when you flush, so there's a good chance some of your gut flora get out into the air. Once they're out of their normal environment, there's a good chance they can mutate. The same goes for the flush handle and faucet handles. Gotta disinfect them regularly, as well. And, don't forget your toothbrush.