How to Protect Yourself From COVID-19 if You Share a Desk with a Coworker

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Shot of a group of businesspeople using their computers at a desk in a modern office

Sharing an office can be challenging under normal circumstances. Your coworker may leave the desk a mess, adjust the chair without putting it back, and constantly walk off with your favorite pens. Working during COVID-19 presents a new problem: how can you safely share a desk when you don’t know if your coworker is taking proper precautions? Here are three tips for protecting yourself in a shared office space, especially if you work a different shift, and you share a desk with another coworker who works an earlier shift.  

1. Keep Your Office Space Sanitized

Get into the habit of wiping down your desk, chair, computer keyboard, and other surfaces with Clorox wipes or disinfecting spray as soon as you arrive at work and before you head home at the end of your shift. These cleaning products will kill the vast majority of potential germs in your office space, which can significantly lower your fear of contracting COVID-19 at work. If you know your building’s custodian or the coworker you share your desk with well and trust them, you might consider working out a cleaning schedule to share responsibilities, but it’s usually a good idea to handle it yourself so that you know it was done right. 

2. Purify Your Air to Reduce the Spread of Germs

Because little is known about how long COVID-19 can live in the air, investing in a small air purifier can provide an extra layer of protection from viruses, especially if your shift begins immediately after your coworker’s. HEPA filtration is capable of blocking nearly all particles that are the size of the COVID-19 virus.  

3. Bring Your Own Office Supplies

Rather than trying to sanitize every pen, marker, and stapler in your desk, now is a good time to avoid sharing office supplies altogether. Consider storing a small bag of inexpensive personal supplies in your briefcase or purse to reduce the number of items you have to touch that may be harder to clean than larger surfaces.   

Sharing a desk doesn’t have to be unsanitary. Follow the Avidity Medical Design blog for more tips for managing COVID-19 risk.

Consider making the most of your free time by enrolling in one of our courses. Visit Avidity Medical Design Academy for more information on the following courses:

  1. “How to Prevent Medical Conditions Caused By TOXIC People in Your Life (and Be Healthier!)”
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  3. “How to Protect Your Own Medical Identity (in 8 EASY Steps!)”
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  5. “How to Prevent Disease in Your Body (By Eating Fruits and Vegetables!)” and many more. Visit Avidity Medical Design Academy for more information and a complete listing of courses that are currently available.

10 Easy Exercises That You Can Do At Work

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Working at your desk all day can put extra stress on your body.  Because of this, it’s important to stay fit while you’re working at your desk all day.  There are plenty of easy, beneficial exercises that you can do while you’re sitting at your desk, or working in the office. Here are 10 easy exercises you could do when you are at work.

1.  Do Some Head Lollers 

When you’re working behind a computer all day, your head and neck could become stiff.  Loosen them by letting your head loll over so that the left ear nearly touches your shoulder.  Use your hand to press your head a little lower for 10 seconds.  Repeat the same exercise using your right ear.

2.   Try Some Victory Stretches

This easy exercise is great for relieving stress and keeping your muscles from clenching up.  You could stay seated or stand up for this exercise.  Raise your hands up overhead in a V-shape and stretch high up.  Hold for 10 seconds.

3.   Do Wall Sits

This exercise is great for building strength and endurance while taking a phone call.  It’s also great for your back.  You will stand with your back against the wall, bend your knees and slide your back down the wall until thighs are parallel to the floor.  Sit and hold this position for 15 seconds.

4.   Clench Your Muscles

A muscle strengthening exercise that you can do while sitting or standing.  All you have to do is tighten your buttocks for five seconds, relax and repeat 15 times.  If you do this exercise regularly, it could help tone your muscles.

5.  Squat at Your Printer or Your Fax Machine

Try doing this exercise when you are standing at your printer and waiting for something to print, or standing at your fax machine and sending a fax or receiving a fax.  Squatting is great for strengthening the thighs and buttocks.  Stand with your feet together, bending the knees slightly until your thighs are parallel to the ground.  Hold this position for five seconds and then release it.  Repeat this exercise. Do 4-6 repetitions.

6.  Raise Your Legs While Sitting

This exercise is great for adding strength to your legs and abdomen.  Try doing this while sitting down on a conference call and nobody’s watching.  Straighten your leg while sitting upright in your seat.  Hold it in place for 10 seconds.  Repeat with the other leg and then do this 15 times for each leg.

7.  Do Some Chair Dips

These are easy exercises you can do to strengthen your core and arms.  Be sure you’re using a chair that doesn’t roll away.  Scoot up to the front edge of the chair, extend your legs out in front of you and place your hands on the edges of the chair behind you.  Use your core and arms to raise your body up and down.  Repeat this exercise 15 times.

8.  Raise Your Leg While Hovering

Similar to raising your legs while sitting, raising your legs while hovering helps strengthen your abdomen.  The only difference is that you will be raising both of your legs at the same time, instead of raising each leg one at a time.  Hold this position as long as you can and then release it.

9.  Do the “Leaning Plank Exercise”

This is another one of our favorite easy exercises you could do in the break room.  Just lean against a wall using your forearms for support.  Hold for as long as you can.

10.  Hug Your Knees

Lift your leg up with a bent knee and grab it with your arms.  Hold for 5-10 seconds.  Repeat on the other leg.  This exercise is great for strengthening your knees.

For more easy exercises you could at your desk, be sure to follow the Avidity Medical Design Blog. 

To take an online healthcare course, visit Avidity Medical Design Academy.