After the month-long fasting of Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims, has arrived. However, unlike other years, the holy festival is coming amidst of pandemic this year. Yes! We are talking about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The number of affected people in Bangladesh has crossed 30000; while more than 400 people died from deadly COVID-19 disease. Let not be this holy Eid the last celebration for you or your family. In this article we are going to discuss some ways about how to celebrate Eid safely during COVID-19 pandemic.

Precautions for Grocery Shopping

Before the Eid day, mass people tend to do grocery shopping for family. Try to order products from online grocery shops and get delivery at your home. If you find no other way but to visit a grocery shop physically, go a less crowded store. Wear mask, and hand gloves. Carry clean tissues and an alcohol-based (60-70%) sanitizer in your bag. Before holding a shopping cart, wipe it with a clean tissue.

Read: Where to buy online grocery in Dhaka during quarantine?

Try to maintain at least 6-feet of social distancing from the grocer and other shoppers. If possible opt for credit card or debit card payment. Sanitize your hand after leaving the grocery shop. After entering home, leave your shoes, and drop the grocery bags in a predefined corner of your kitchen. Then wash your hands for at least 20-seconds with soap and running water. After that, disinfect your grocery in proper ways.

Also, Read How to Shop and Disinfect Groceries Safely during COVID19 Pandemic

Precautions While Visiting Shopping Malls

Shopping for Eid is a favorite ritual of the common people in Bangladesh. People love to buy gifts for family members and relatives centering on the holy Eid celebration. For Eid-shopping you don’t need to step outside home! You can buy clothes, shoes, cosmetics, jewelry, and other necessary items online.

Read Online Eid Shopping in BD for Men, Women, and Children

However, if you still want to visit shopping malls take safety protections, like wearing masks and gloves. Beware of touching the lift-buttons with hands. You can apply the elbow to push the buttons. While using stairs, try not to touch any railings. Such places are commonly contacted by numerous people. Who knows any of the visitors might have carried the virus.

Besides these, try to avoid touching or trialing clothes at malls. Be careful while taking any food at the mall. If possible carry your own water bottle and food. And don’t forget to sanitize your hands after leaving the mall. After entering home, leave your shoes, and wash your hands again properly.

Precautions for Holy Eid Prayer

The celebration of Eid-al-Fitr starts with a holy prayer. Every year the religious Muslim communities visit Mosques to join communal Eid prayers, and exchange greeting. But this year, doctors and authorities are asking people to celebrate Eid in a bit different way for the sake of safety. The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) is encouraging the honorable Muslim community of the country to carry out the Holy Eid Prayers at respective homes to prevent the risk of Corona Virus contagion.

However, if you are still interested to visit a mosque for Eid prayer, don’t forget to take the following safety measures.

- Perform the ablution (Wudu) – the ritual of purification before prayer – within your home. Though mosques have a designated place for ablution, touching the metal taps can enhance the risk of virus contagion. You may know that Coronavirus can stay alive on the metal surfaces for long hours.

- Wear face masks and hand gloves before leaving home.

- Carry your Janamaz – prayer rug – from home. If not possible take a piece of clean cloth with you. Then put the cloth over the surface where you are going to place your hands, forehead, and parts of face during the prayer.

- Try to maintain at least 6-feet of distance during the prayer. And keep social distance while exchanging greetings with other Muslims after the holy Eid prayer.

Safety Measures for Get Together

The ritual of holy Eid prayer is followed by offering treats to relatives, friends, and neighbors. But this year, you can minimize visiting relatives. You can utilize video calling and other technology to greet your relatives while staying at home. However, if you still decide to visit any relative’s place don’t leave your face mask behind.

People of Bangladesh are hospitable. Especially during the Eid festival people of all economic status love to treat their relatives and friends with delicious food. You can invite your guests at home. But it would be wise, if you can invite one family at a time, instead of arranging a large family party. Do wear face masks in front of your guests, and encourage them to do the same.

Besides these, try to maintain some precautions while serving the food. For instance, the common use of metallic serving spoons can enhance the risk of spreading the Corona Virus. You can apply separate serving spoons and disposable crockery. Ask your guests to sit sporadically maintaining social distance, instead of clustering. Overall, plan your food arrangement wisely assuring safety from COVID19.

Also read: Govt suggests offering Eid prayer at mosques instead of Eidgahs, open spaces

Bottom Line

The holy Eid brings heavenly bliss for the whole Muslim community. Unlike previous years, let us celebrate this holy Eid with a different flavor in a cautious way. Simple precautions can save you, your family, relatives, friends, and neighbors from the COVID19 pandemic. And, our collective precautions can make the upcoming Eid celebration happier and safer for the whole country. Eid Mubarak!

Though the government is advising citizens to stay at home to prevent the coronavirus contagion, you have to step outside home sometimes to collect food for staying alive. You can unintentionally invite the life-threatening coronavirus at your home while shopping or processing groceries if necessary protective and sanitization measures are not taken. During the grievous situation of the COVID19 pandemic, some precautions can keep you and your family safe and healthy. Here goes a simple guideline about how to shop and disinfect groceries safely during the COVID19 pandemic situation. Stay with us!

How to Shop Groceries Safely during COVID19 Pandemic

Make a Grocery List   

Remember that it can be dangerous to go shopping frequently several times a week. So try to prepare a grocery list in advance. It would be wise if you can purchase groceries for one to two weeks at a time. However, stay away from buying groceries more than you need; otherwise, it may create temporary shortages.

Personal Protective Measures during Shopping

Don’t forget to wear a face-mask before leaving your home. Carry alcohol (60-70%) based hand sanitizer and wipes in your bag to wipe down the handles of the shopping cart or basket. Take a clean shopping bag from home. If possible, visit a less busy grocery store to avoid the excess crowd.

While shopping, practice a minimum of 6 feet of social distancing between you, the grocery store employees, and other shoppers. Refrain from touching your eyes or any other part of your face with hands. If possible try to use credit/debit cards to pay the bills. After completing your shopping and paying bills, don’t forget to disinfect your hands with an Alcohol-based hand sanitizer. 

Safety Measures after Returning Home

After entering the home, put off your shoes in a designated space. Then drop the grocery bags in a specific corner of your kitchen to protect your home from Corona Virus contamination. Next, wash your hands properly with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds.  

How to Disinfect Groceries Safely to Prevent Virus Contamination

Unpack Groceries Safely

The basic food safety process has four simple steps: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Eat. Try to unpack the groceries including meat, poultry, eggs, vegetables, fruits, milk, and other perishables within two hours from returning from the shop. Throw the container packs into your bins. For reusable grocery bags, it would be wise to leave them untouched for two days at least. 

Sanitizing Food with Vinegar/Baking Soda

Now follow some DIY techniques to disinfect your fruits and veggies. Add some amount of white distilled vinegar to a bowl of water. Alternatively, you can mix one ounce of baking soda in 100 ounces of water. Stir the mixture properly with a spoon. Then drench the fruits, and/or leafy vegetables in that bowl. Leave the bowl for 10 to 15 minutes so that the fruits/veggies can soak properly. 

After that, rinse your fruit/veggies under running water to remove the particles and scent of vinegar/ baking soda. You can scrub the vegetables and fruits with a clean brush. After washing, leave those food items in the open air for drying before you start slicing, cooking, or eating. Clean lids before opening canned goods.

How to Disinfect Your Kitchen Counter After Processing Groceries

After sanitizing groceries, and/or cutting raw meats/poultry/fish, it is highly essential to disinfect your kitchen counter. You can apply any commercially available sanitizer product. You can also create a DIY disinfecting solution.

Mix five tablespoons of unscented liquid chlorine bleach to one gallon of water. Use this solution to clean the kitchen counter. However, don’t apply this solution to food. In addition to these, you can apply clean, hot, soapy water to scrub and disinfect any utensils like knife, chopping board, etc which you have used to process the raw meat/poultry/fish.

Cautionary Steps when You Buy Groceries Online

Even if the online grocery stores are supposed to send grocery items in thoroughly cleaned bags, you need to take the same safety measures to prevent the risk of Coronavirus contagion. Try to avoid direct hand-off. You can arrange a space near your doorstep where the delivery man can place the grocery bags. Wear a mask and use hand gloves while you pay the bills and carry the grocery bags to the designated space of your kitchen. Wash your hands properly. Then apply the sanitizing process we discussed in the above sections.

Skin doctors suddenly are looking at a lot of toes — whether by emailed picture or video visit — as concern grows that for some people, a sign of COVID-19 may pop up in an unusual spot.

Boston dermatologist Esther Freeman expected to see skin complaints as the pandemic unfolded — various kinds of rashes occur when people get very ill from other viruses.

“But I was not anticipating those would be toes,” said Freeman of Massachusetts General Hospital, who has viewed via telemedicine more toes in the last several weeks than in her entire career.

They’re being called “COVID toes,” red, sore and sometimes itchy swellings on toes that look like chilblains, something doctors normally see on the feet and hands of people who’ve spent a long time outdoors in the cold.

Don’t race to the emergency room if toes are the only worry, said the American Academy of Dermatology.

Earlier this month, it issued advice that a telemedicine check is the first step for people wondering if they have “COVID toes” and who have no other reason for urgent care. Doctors then should decide if the patient should stay in home isolation or get tested.

The most common coronavirus symptoms are fever, a dry cough and shortness of breath -- and some people are contagious despite never experiencing symptoms. But as this bewildering virus continues to spread, less common symptoms are being reported including loss of smell, vomiting and diarrhea, and increasingly, a variety of skin problems.

In one report, dermatologists evaluated 88 COVID-19 patients in an Italian hospital and found 1 in 5 had some sort of skin symptom, mostly red rashes over the trunk. In another, Spanish doctors reported a series of 375 confirmed virus patients with a range of skin complaints, from hives to chickenpox-like lesions to the toe swellings.

Pictures of reddened toes and rashes all over social media and doctor chat groups have “already enabled the rapid recognition of skin signs by dermatologists. It is now time for rigorous science” to understand the link, Dr. Kanade Shinkai of the University of California, San Francisco wrote in a recent JAMA Dermatology editorial.

Boston’s Freeman directs an international COVID-19 registry for doctors to report cases of possibly virus-linked skin symptoms. Of 500 reports since late March, about half are chilblain-like spots on the feet, she said.

Chilblains, what doctors call “pernio,” are an inflammatory reaction. When pernio-like reactions appear in coronavirus-infected patients is one of many mysteries. For some people, it’s the first or even only symptom they notice. Others see the toe problem at the same time or even a few weeks after experiencing more common and serious COVID-19 symptoms.

It’s showing up in young people too, according to Dr. Amy Paller of Northwestern University, who is part of a pediatric dermatology registry also collecting images of patients’ toes.

Among the theories: Is it just inflammation triggered by an infection instead of the cold? Is the virus irritating the lining of blood vessels in the skin, or perhaps causing microscopic blood clots?

“The public health message is not to panic,” Freeman said, noting that most toe patients she’s seen haven’t become severely ill.

Are they contagious? “We can’t tell just by looking at your toes,” she said. Other medical conditions, such as lupus, can cause similar spots — another reason doctors should discuss each patient’s overall health and next steps for testing or other needed care.

After the month-long fasting of Ramadan, Eid-al-Fitr, the largest ceremony of Muslims brings us immense joy and happiness. And whenever we think about celebrating Eid the desire of shopping for family-members appears into our mind. The ecstasy of Eid remains incomplete without the tradition of buying gifts for our dear ones. However, due to the on-going grievous situation of the COVID19 pandemic, it would be risky to visit shopping malls physically. Are you being deprived of Eid-shopping this year? Wait! You can shop online! Read this article to know where you can do online Eid shopping in BD for men, women, and children.

Famous Fashion Houses for Online Eid Shopping in BD

Aarong

If you are a fan of comfortable outfits maintaining the elegant sense of fashion, go for Aarong!  Since their establishment in 1978, Aarong has acquired its position as the leading lifestyle retailer of the country.  Operating under BRAC, Aarong has been developed as a renowned platform for selling handicrafts, clothing, jewelry, home decorative products, lifestyle products, Ceramic, and many more items. To carry on Eid-shopping for Men’s wear, Women’s wear, Kid’s wear, and Footwear, Aarong can be your top choice. Website: https://www.aarong.com/

Cats Eye

Cats Eye has won millions of hearts in Bangladesh for their trendy designs of men’s wear. Found in 1980, this leading fashion house of Bangladesh launched a unique trend in men’s fashion. Here you can find both formal and casual men’s wear including, Shirts, Pants, Jeans, Panjabi, Sherwani, etc. What is more? Cats Eye offers a versatile collection of accessories, like Ties, Cufflinks, Wallets, Bags, men’s Shoes, Belts, Caps, sunglasses, Lapel Pin, Scarf, etc. Besides pioneering in man's clothing and accessories, Cats Eye is offering fashionable outfits for Women. Website: https://catseye.com.bd/

Kay Kraft

Focusing on handloom-based handcrafted fashion-wear; Kaykraft kicked off their expedition in the fashion world in 1993. Starting as a home-based fashion boutique, Kay Kraft has become one of the prominent fashion houses in Bangladesh. Merging traditional handloom skills with trendy fashion sense, Kay Kraft apparels come with a versatile combination of design, color, techniques, and ornamentation like satin stitch, screenprint, eerie, applique, block print, zardousi, sequin-work, knot stitch, tie and dye, cut-work, embroidery, Kantha stitch, etc. Visit Kay Kraft to purchase Men’s wear, Women’s wear, and kid's wear. Website: http://kaykraft.com/

Ecstasy

Starting the journey in 1997, fashion house Ecstasy has rapidly claimed its position among the biggest fashion retailers in Bangladesh. Focusing on the fashion trend of young generations, Ecstasy presents their exclusive brand “Tanjim” and “Zarzain” targeting fashion-conscious men and women respectively. Men’s wear collection includes Shirts, T-shirts, Blazer, Suits, Panjabi, Kabli, Pants, Jeans, trousers, Shorts, Footwear, Men’s accessories, etc. Girls who have a passion for trendy bags and western dresses can navigate the rich collection of Ecstasy. Website: https://ecstasybd.com/

Yellow

The fashion brand Yellow creates more colorful outfits than it sounds. As a sister concern of Beximco, Yellow debuted in the fashion industry of Bangladesh in the year of 2004. Offering a complete wardrobe collection, Yellow has gracefully acquired a reputation as a trendy fashion house, for their creative design, and top quality fabrics. If you are looking for a one-stop online shopping website where you can buy formal and casual wears for your whole family including men, women, kids, then don’t miss Yellow! Website: https://yellowclothing.net/

Le Reve

With the tagline ‘Fashion for everyone for every occasion,’ the renowned brand Le Reve joined the country's fashion industry in 2009. Though being comparatively younger than other leading clothing brands of Bangladesh, Le Reve encourages trendy outfits for people of all ages ranging from newborns to senior citizens. Le Reve presents gracefully designed versatile apparel including Casuals, Shirts, Jeans, Fotua, Panjabi, Edgy Denims, Salwar Kamij, Tunic, Skirt, Ethnic wears, Accessories, etc. Website: https://www.lerevecraze.com/

Rang

Shopping from Rong can make your Eid more vibrant. Rang was founded in 1994 by four visionary youths with an endless passion for color and creativity. Through the journey of ups and downs, Rang has appeared as one of the top fashion houses in Bangladesh. Rong deserves praise for their precious contribution behind promoting the country’s handloom industry as well as handicraft products. Rang’s apparel collection includes Shari, Single Kamij, Stitched Dress, Shawl, Frock, Skirt, Tops, Kurta, Panjabi, shirts, Tees, Fotua, Diverse accessories, Gift items, etc. Website: https://rang-bd.com/

Anjan's

Are you looking for couple’s wear to make your Eid more special? Shop at Anjan's! Starting from 1994 Anjan's has created its space among the top-ranked fashion houses in Bangladesh. This famous clothing brand offers Men’s wear (Pajama, Panjabi, Shirt, and T-shirt), Women’s wear (Fatua, Ladies Top, Salwar Kamiz, and Shari) and Kid’s wear (Baby Pajama, Frock, and Kid’s Panjabi). Their top-of-the-line products ‘Margin By Anjans’ presents more versatility in fabric like cotton, Georgette, Silk, Embroidery, and so on. Website: https://www.anjans.com/

Other Eminent Apparel and Footwear Brands in BD

• Freeland. Website: http://freeland.com.bd/
• Shadakalo. Website: http://sadakalo.net/
• Easy Fashion. Website: https://easyfashion.com.bd/
• Smartex. Website: https://smartex-bd.com/
• Trendz. Website: http://trendzbd.com/
• Grameen Uniqlo. Website: https://www.grameenuniqlo.com/
• Bata. Website: https://www.batabd.com/
• Apex. https://www.apex4u.com/

Bottom Line

Though we can do shopping all the year-round, doing Eid-shopping for the loved ones makes us blissful. So far we have discussed some of the best fashion brands in the country where you can do online shopping for your family. However, don’t forget to take necessary safety precautions like wearing masks, and hand gloves while taking home-delivery of your product.  And, it is always recommended to check your product before the delivery man leaves. Happy Shopping!

Are you experiencing chronic anxiety over the risk of getting infected by the life-threatening COVID19 disease or impending financial hardship? Besides sucking the mental strength, anxiety may weaken your immune system. Doing mind and body practices through Yoga, you can build strong immunity besides keeping your mind calm. Yoga inherits a 5,000-year  history combining diversified methods of meditation, breathing techniques, and physical postures. Adding Yoga in your daily routine can strengthen your mind and body to overcome the Coronavirus challenge. Read this article to know about some free online Yoga courses which you can attain during the quarantine.

Free Online Yoga Courses 2020

Yoga for Beginners

If you have a long-cherished desire to learn Yoga, but could hardly manage time to learn this, start now! Here comes a beginner level video course in Yoga. This course can help you learn encouraging ways to modify your health. It would be a nice start towards your Yoga journey including morning Yoga habit, bedtime Yoga routine, Yoga for reducing neck tension, Yoga for various organ stretching, easy Yoga workouts, and many more things. This course is recommended for anyone who is eager to release anxiety, lose some extra pounds, boost up immunity, and make a strong body. Click on the following link to get enrolled in this course: https://www.udemy.com/course/yogaforbeginners/

Yoga for Desk Workers & Students

People who tend to sit down for long hours due to office duty or study purpose, often complain about chronic pain in the eyes, neck, shoulder, back, and various other parts of the body. Though medications can provide temporal reliefs, aches often tend to come back. You can try some Yoga methods to get relief from these pains. Here comes an online Yoga course for desk workers and Students. 

Watching these video classes you can learn how to stretch out and release tension during short work-breaks. This course can teach you specific Yoga techniques to increase circulations of different body-parts to heal the pain. Besides decreasing stress and anxiety, these Yoga methods will improve your posture, strengthen spine health, and increase your overall level of productivity at work or study. Click the following link to join this course: https://www.udemy.com/course/deskyoga/

You May Also Like: Where to Find Online Courses during Coronavirus Home Quarantine.

10 Minute Yoga! Happy Mind, Body & Spirit in Just 10 Mins 

Are you a busy mom or a hectic professional for whom spending one hour on Yoga every day is more than a daydream? Don’t worry! You can practice Yoga even if you can manage only 10 minutes from your tight schedule. Here comes a 10 Minute Yoga Course to get a healthy mind, body, and spirit! 

These video classes will teach you three sequences. The ‘Dream’ sequence will help you in setting your intention and warming up the body to start an amazing day. Then the ‘Feel Free’ sequence will teach you some postures of stretching, twisting, and standing poses which can make you feel relaxed. The last ‘Heart Open’ sequence will show you some forward and backward bends enabling you to love wholeheartedly. Besides, relaxing your body, this Yoga course will improve your focus, mental strength, and confidence every single day. Click the following link to participate in this course: https://www.udemy.com/course/10-minute-yoga-happy-mind-body-spirit-in-just-10-mins/

Yin yoga for sleep

Are you facing difficulty in falling asleep? Or do you feel like carrying a huge burden of stress in your mind? If this situation continues for weeks or months, it can deteriorate your mental peace, health condition, and productivity at work. Join this course to solve your sleeplessness. These videos classes will teach you the secrets of Yin yoga along with some effective methods. 

Yin yoga can activate your parasympathetic nervous system which controls the rest and digest mode of your body. These Yoga methods will help you in developing patience and ways of acceptance. You will gain the ability to observe thoughts, and control reactions. All of these actions can calm your nervous system to release tensions, which would help you in getting better sleep every night. Click the link below to join this course: https://www.udemy.com/course/yin-yoga-for-sleep/

Exploring the Yoga Chakras

Do you have a passion for traditional meditation practice? You can try this course to learn Kundalini Yoga based on Chakras knowledge. The term ‘Chakras’ refers to different focal points of the body that are applied for meditation practices. This concept was generated from the ancient traditions of Hinduism. This course has been designed with eight classes of Chakra balancing exercises. 

Watching these video classes you can learn about diverse ancient concepts of energy centers, including their locations, qualities, symbolism, and impact on everyday life. Each exercise usually lasts from 5 to 8 minutes. Overall, these Kundalini Yoga methods will help you in achieving desired outcomes in life and manage your wellbeing in an organized way. Click the following link to join this course: https://www.udemy.com/course/exploring-the-chakras/

Yoga for Allergic Rhinitis / Hayfever

Are you tired of suffering from chronic sneezing due to allergic rhinitis/ hayfever? You may know that Allergic rhinitis or hayfever is quite tiresome for the body, mind, and work spirit. Chronic sneezing can lead to blocked sinuses, itchy nose, and sore throat. These symptoms make it difficult for your breathing system to function normally. 

Not to mention, during Coronavirus pandemic an incidence of chronic sneezing can make you feel uncomfortable in public. In this section, we are going to present a special course of Yogic Principals and Practices that can release your stress, strengthen your immune system, teach some effective breathing techniques, and finally help you to get rid of the allergic rhinitis/ hayfever. Click the following link to enroll this course: https://www.udemy.com/course/yoga-for-allergic-rhinitis-hayfever/

Read: Free Online Graphic Design Courses to Enhance Your Skill during Quarantine.

Bottom Line

So far we have discussed several free online Yoga courses worth participating in your quarantine to release stress and build a healthy body. However, it is recommended to keep about two to three hours break between your last meal and Yoga session. Try to apply Yoga Mat and other recommended props to assure your safety while practicing different Yoga Postures. And don’t forget to consult your doctor before doing Yoga, if you have any serious illness.