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Hello, I have lots of questions regarding Covid. The truth is I have OCD so I am looking for a very specific set of updated guidelines to follow and most information is not that recent or I find it hard to understand, so I hope you can help me. -If I go out and touch things or other people, should I change clothes, disinfect them, or just leave them and touch them like I normally do?-Should I clean my shoes after going out or can I just leave them on around the house or could I touch them or not?-Can I touch my mask or not, how can I safely put it on and off?-Are wearing a mask and washing my hands all the things that I have to do, should I follow another guideline or can I live my life normally with the exception of these 2 rules?-Should I disinfect the doorknob and keys when I enter home?-Should I disinfect the groceries and things I buy on the market?-Is it dangerous to touch paper or mail that came from another person?-Do I have to clean my car after I go to another place or put groceries in there?-Could I eat at a restaurant without worrying about cleaning the food items or the takeout containers?-When I'm out, how often should I use hand sanitizer, and after I use it should I clean it or just put it back in its place?-What steps should I take when I go out?
You should disinfect surfaces and wash your hands as per your normal routine, there is no reason to increase your vigilance by washing or disinfecting more than your normal. As a person with OCD, you probably already perform hand washing and disinfection much more frequently than other people, so if your psychologist or psychiatrist is working on your OCD habits/lifestyle modifications, then you should follow their advice. You do not need to disinfect groceries, the car, worry about takeout containers, etc. The most important advice for what you should continue to do is to wear a mask when in public enclosed (indoor) spaces which are poorly ventilated—this is because Covid is spread from the air and through other people’s exhaled breath. So, you should not be anxious about surfaces. However, even without Covid, we all should be practicing normal hygiene which means that it is okay to carry hand sanitizer and use it after shaking hands with someone else or eating a meal out at a restaurant. It is okay to clean doorknobs and tabletops, wash your clothes, and vacuum out the car…that’s just being clean and hygienic. One extreme is being filthy and the other extreme is being OCD to the extent of trying to make everything sterile. You want to find a comfortable and healthy middle ground for contact surfaces.
