With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, flowers, like roses, are expected to be seen all over anew, with not a few wishing to add romantic color to their lives that have been made dreary by wearing face masks, shields, and observing physical distancing all these months.
And with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic far from being over, will it really be safe to stop and smell those roses these days?
For Dr. Rontgene Solante, head of San Lazaro Hospital’s Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Department, being careful remains to be the key.
“Okay lang naman ang flowers (as a gift for Valentine’s day) to commemorate the season of love. Basta, just be careful in handling,” Solante told the Manila Bulletin.
And Solante underscored: “Don’t forget to sanitize.”
“For the flowers itself, it can be contaminated also, though very low and unlikely to be the cause of infection,” he said.
But what exactly should you do if you receive flowers on Valentine’s Day?
Solante emphasized the importance of practicing basic health protocols, and underscored that this should include even those selling the flowers.
“Always wash hands before and after handling such packages. Just the same, wash the flowers with water after receiving it,” he said.
And for those receiving the flowers? “But (I) highly suggest, refrain from smelling it near your nose just to be safe,” Solante added.
“Better to put it in a flower vase, and place (it) in a secure area of the house,” he advised.
And for the more innovative gift-givers, Solante said adding heath safety-oriented gifts to the flowers would go a long way.
“Face mask (or) sanitizers are an added option as a gift,” he said.
But on the overall, Solante noted that the chance of coronavirus transmission through inanimate objects was very small.
“The risk of getting COVID from these inanimate objects like flowers is low risk,” he said.