COVID Safety Shopping List
It’s hard to be one of the increasingly rare people still taking proper COVID precautions in our fifth year of the ongoing global pandemic, but it’s not impossible.
While most of my fellow immunocompromised and otherwise disabled people isolate at home as much as possible, we do still have to be in public sometimes. I decided to make a shopping list available for everyone based on what I sent my kid to college with to keep herself protected in the freshman dorms.
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Nothing in this article should be considered medical advice; it is simply what I rely on as an immunocompromised person that has worked for me so far, excluding the one thing that didn’t work. (That was Enovid. Do not recommend.)
N95/KN95 Masks
If you only did one thing to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, it would be wearing a high-quality face mask/respirator. N95s are the gold standard, but KN95s come a close second and are often more affordable.
I’ve been wearing these KN95 masks from Facemoon since I found a really great deal on them on Prime Day 2024. They fit my smaller face much better than the HUHETA KN95 masks I’d previously bought for my family, but the HUHETA masks fit my husband (and his facial hair) much better.
Still, if you’d prefer to wear N95s instead of KN95s, 3M Aura N95 respirators come the most highly recommended.
Portable Air Purifiers
If you have to sleep in the vicinity of other people (like in a college dorm) who aren’t COVID-cautious and want to protect yourself, you need a portable air purifier with HEPA filtration.
We picked up a VEWIOR Air Purifier with 3-Stage Filtration on our recent road trip for parents’ weekend at the kiddo’s university after I realized we’d forgotten to pack the one we had at home. It’s not the exact model I found on Amazon, but they probably only vary based on retailer. I wouldn’t have slept without a mask in our hotel room without it. And it looks like I’d bought a different VEWIOR Air Purifier for my kid’s dorm room, if you’d like more options.
The one we forgot at home is the POMORON 4-in-1 Air Purifier, which we bring with us on our weekly gaming nights, hosted in a friend’s basement. It has UV light in addition to HEPA filtration, but it’s less than $75 even when it’s not on sale. Notably, this model works in small rooms up to 250 sq ft, so it’s not as powerful as the VEWIOR. I also brought it with me when I had my sleep study a few months ago.
Air purifiers also help protect you from wildfire smoke and airborne allergens like dust, pollen, and pet dander.
Protective Nasal Sprays
I’ve used a couple different protective nasal sprays, but I won’t bother telling you about the one I used when I had surgery last year and still ended up with COVID after the hospital placed me in the general recovery room instead of isolation.
Nasal sprays are not 100% effective, but they provide an additional line of defense when you are in situations where you cannot stay masked in public places. You can use them up to 4x daily for maximum effectiveness.
In any case, ePothex Iota Carrageenan nasal spray doesn’t make me cough and choke when I use it like the other one did. I use the spray before and after any medical appointments where I have to remove my mask to let them examine/perform procedures involving my nose or mouth, as well as in settings where I keep my mask on but feel there is not adequate air filtration for the crowded space.
It works by moisturizing and lining your airway with a substance that binds to inhaled contaminants before they can infect your body, which I find fascinating. You can get similar results from Betadine nasal spray, though I have not personally tried that.
Mouthwash with CPC
There’s an ingredient called Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC) that has been found to provide protection against COVID-19, and it can be found in some mouthwashes!
Thanks to a recommendation from my psychiatrist who also uses it, I’ve been rinsing every night after I brush my teeth with Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash with CPC and Hydrogen Peroxide. It’s alcohol-free, but it’s still quite potent, and I can’t swish it around for longer than the recommended 30 seconds! (It might be difficult to tolerate if you’ve had difficulty with any mouthwash that “burns” or feels “hot” when you use it, but was able to adapt after a few days.)
This type of mouthwash works by lining your mouth and throat with a protective layer and also by killing bacteria and “germs.” (Please note, this does not include killing the COVID-19 virus; that’s what the protective CPC layer is for!)
I use this mouthwash every night before bed as well as any time I come home from a public place where I used my nasal spray or realized in hindsight that I should have used my nasal spray.
SipMask Valves
When it’s too risky to take your mask off in public, but you have to be out for a long time and need to stay hydrated, you may want to consider getting yourself some SipMask valves. I have Sjogren’s disease, so dry mouth ensures I always feel the need to hydrate more!
What you get is the little round valves that you can place securely in your N95/KN95 masks by cutting small slits in them and letting the valve seal up the hole. There’s a plastic cap for the valve to keep it covered when you aren’t drinking anything. On gaming nights, I keep the cap on the valve all the time, removing it only as long as it takes for a much-needed sip from my water bottle, and replacing it when I’m done.
The valves are reusable, so you can place them in fresh masks a few times. While reusable, they are still disposable, and you’ll need to replace your valve whenever it becomes warped and can no longer keep a tight seal. You can subscribe to get new SipMask valves every month to make sure you always have replacements ready.
What Did I Miss?
This is not an exhaustive list of COVID safety supplies, but it’s a list of the most important tools in my personal arsenal. Leave me a comment if there’s something you’ve had success with that I left out!
