Checking on your elderly neighbors is a good Samaritan act in the wake of a coronavirus outbreak, said Bill Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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The CDC advised at-risk populations to stay home as much as possible and to keep in touch with others if Covid-19 becomes an issue in their community or if they become infected with the virus.

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Delivering groceries and making sure older, susceptible adults have items they need to survive a quarantine or isolation period could prove invaluable.

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Healthy adults can do their part to mitigate the loneliness of the older population by introducing them to technology such as FaceTime, WhatsApp or Skype, and practicing good hand hygiene habits when they visit elderly neighbors, Hanage said.

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Older neighbors and churchgoers can also remain healthy if community members properly wash their hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds during home visits and practice caution about exposing them to any respiratory symptoms they might have, he said.

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Social distancing and changing how people greet one another can also be helpful the more people practice the habits, he said. He has started practicing the ebola handshake, which involves touching elbows, and a colleague of his has taken to a Vulcan salute out of precaution.​