'No handshaking:' Social distancing & other prevention tips during coronavirus outbreak

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- As COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, continues to spread, doctors say you might want to change your behavior so you don't get sick.

Dr. Hammad Haider-Shah, chief medical officer for Aurora West Allis Medical Center recommends social distancing to help stop the contagious virus.

"One of the things we do wanna change is not hand shaking, just an elbow dab instead," he said. "When you cough, the particles that come out go about 3-6 feet...so your ability to catch a virus goes down significantly the farther you are standing from other people."

For those concerned an elbow bump might not be enough, a foot tap might be appropriate. 

According to the CDC, it might be possible for people to catch COVID-19 by touching a surface that has the virus on it.

So what should you do out in public?

"You wanna avoid large crowds because you don't know who's around you at that point," said Dr. Haider-Shah.

What about at the gym? At Wisconsin Athletic Club, they say practicing good hygiene is best.

"We have extra hand sanitizer stations around the club, Kleenex, an abundant supply and we've instructed our staff to do a lot of different cleaning initiatives," said Dan Hanson, general manager of Wisconsin Athletic Club -- Downtown.

As for grocery stores, Metro Market and Pick N’ Save sent emails to customers saying they're cleaning and sanitizing self-checkout stations, shopping carts and food service counters.

After being out in public, health officials suggest washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, also after coughing, blowing your nose, or sneezing.

For more information on prevention, CLICK HERE.