The standard advice to wash hands frequently is worthwhile but leaves many gaps. Suppose the restroom door swings inward, as it does in several markets I visit. However well I wash while in the restroom, I can’t leave it w/o grabbing a handle whose last grabber may not have washed enough (if at all) to get the virus off his hands. And so on.

When I must go shopping, I now carry a small flask of isopropyl alcohol (the active ingredient in hand sanitizers) and an absorbent rag or washcloth. I can wipe my hands just before and/or after touching anything that might carry the virus. I don’t need to sprint to a wipe dispenser and then toss a used wipe onto the pile that is already overflowing a wastebasket (if there even is a wastebasket there).

The flask and damp rag fit nicely in a pocket of my photographer-style vest. Don’t have or want such a vest? Appropriate outer pockets are on many gadget bags, gym bags, purses, and so on. Buying one may be easier than buying toilet paper.