Losing your sense of smell is a common side effect of having the coronavirus, and that could lead to some unexpected safety concerns. For instance, if there’s a fire.
A fire inspector says it’s critical you have a smoke detector that works — especially if you can’t smell the smoke.
Stuart Hammer says to make sure you test it monthly and replace the batteries every six months.
He adds that once it starts going off, you have about three minutes to get out of the house.
Hammer says it’s also important to have at least two exits from every room, in case a fire is on the other side of one.
“When we are not in our proper frame of mind as we would be when we’re well, you know, when we’re sick or feverish, we aren’t thinking straight. Having muscle memory is going to be important in those situations,” Hammer said.
He says it’s important to keep doors shut, so fire and smoke don’t make it into your bedroom. It can buy you time until the fire department gets there.
