Toothpicks have been left next to the lift buttons in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19. — Photo thanhnien.vn

There has been a flood of information released about how to keep yourself safe from being exposed to or contracting novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in apartment lifts.

Obviously, a lift is a particularly high risk place with a confined space and buttons which are pressed with bare fingers hundreds times per day. 

Popular measures such as hanging signals telling people to avoid speaking in lifts, washing hand with sanitiser and putting on face masks have been the main themes of preventing the disease.

In an apartment building in Hà Nội’s Láng Thượng Ward, people are finding ever more inventive ways to keep the disease at bay.

A sponge plugged with multiple toothpicks has been left next to the buttons in the lifts so that residents can use 1 them to press the buttons instead of using their fingers. This is expected to prevent contact with unsanitary surfaces in the lifts.

A plastic cup has been left next to it to throw away the used toothpicks.

Đặng Thanh Hải, director of the apartment building, told Thanh Niên (Young People) newspaper that all 14 lifts had been equipped with hand sanitiser and toothpicks to help minimise the spread of the disease.

I'm not sure if this will really work, but at least it has helped residents and visitors feel more secure when stepping into the lifts. What a great psychological method! — VNS