Alone, crazy Americans are waiting for a coronavirus vaccine to materialize in the distant future, some may wonder if it’s safe to hang out with friends or push other family members into their bunker. quarantine. The answer, experts say, will depend on where they live, the precautions they take, and the level of risk each party is willing and able to take.
“My feeling is to develop gradually, cautiously at the start. As we gain experience, we can adjust our behavior. At first, small groups of friends and family, people we trust, ”Stephen Morse, professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, told MarketWatch. “I think the decision should be individual because everyone differs in risk tolerance and personal history.”
Morse added: “Unfortunately, we have no meaningful evidence to tell people that they are” safe “because the evidence is still evolving and we are still learning to interpret the results. Some people may have already recovered COVID-19 and are likely to be able to expand their circles. ”
As many states begin to reopen part of their economies after weeks of COVID-19-induced closings, polls suggest that Americans, despite their extended support for home orders – they begin to emerge from their immediate bubbles. The proportion of Americans who say they avoid small gatherings increased from 84% on April 12 to 63% on May 17, according to the Gallup poll
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Julia Marcus, professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School, highlighted the cost of mental health, the economic damage and the “quarantine fatigue” caused by the massive closures. in a recent article for The Atlantic magazine – suggesting that a harm reduction approach, which recognizes that people will take risks and provides support to help them mitigate the consequences, could be an effective strategy.
Public health professionals and policy makers could “help the public differentiate between low and high risk activities” and provide a road map for “how to cope with a pandemic,” wrote Marcus. Such an approach would be more sustainable in the long run than embarrassing people for a “100% risk reduction”, he said, drawing a parallel with abstinence-only sex education.
“This is what we will have to start thinking about because not everyone will be able, mentally or logistically, to stay at home and avoid everything,” said Tara Smith, professor of epidemiology. at Kent State University at MarketWatch. “I think that is the only way for it to work in the future.”
What activities can we participate in? Is it safe to meet friends, ask your neighbor to take care of your child or consolidate houses with another family? Public health experts have talked to MarketWatch about some of the best best practices:
Be on the lookout for guidelines on COVID-19 transmission and public health where you live
“It is really important that people know what is going on in their communities,” said Amanda Castel, professor of epidemiology at George Washington University. Are the cases in your area tending to increase or decrease? Is your city currently a hot spot? Are the tests available? Consider all of these factors in your decision, said Castel, and follow the advice of local and state health departments.
Danielle Ompad, associate professor of epidemiology at the NYU School of Global Public Health, said she hasn’t seen any friends in person since the closure of New York in March. “I live in an epicenter, and we know that neighborhoods like the one I live in, where economic disadvantages and communities of color are prevalent, have been truly devastated by this disease,” he told MarketWatch. “The last thing I have to do is contribute to it.”
Wear a mask and practice social distance while spending time with your friends
“Even if you’re going to meet friends, you still have to distance yourself socially and wear masks until basically Anthony Fauci or someone else who has the scientific authority and the seriousness to make those kinds of decisions. say the opposite. ” Said Ompad.
Castel agreed. “[If] if you do not live with this person, you will continue to practice social distance with him and will always wear a mask around him, ”he said. “Masks and social distancing will now be essential to how we function when we are in the world and in society.”
Outdoor gathering places are better than indoor ones.
Experts agree that it is better to interact with non-household members outside than inside, because research indicates what is it much more difficult to transmit COVID-19 in outdoor environments. “We have seen several studies in which people indoors, at work and in restaurants end up being infected due to air circulation and lack of adequate ventilation,” said Castel.
Outdoor meetings are not without risks, Smith said, especially if you will be in contact with someone for hours, but they seem less risky than doing the same activity indoors. In addition, your mental health will benefit from being outdoors, added Castel.
Activities that don’t include food or drink are the best
Emily Landon, medical director for infection prevention and control at the University of Chicago Medicine, noted Emily Landon, cannot properly wear a mask while eating or drinking. She recommended finding an alternative activity, such as a lawn tournament that allows everyone to wear masks, run and maintain physical distance.
If you choose to eat with friends, go to an outdoor area that allows for social detachment (like a backyard) and wear masks as much as possible, said Castel.
“Ask people to bring their own food and utensils to minimize the risk of sharing contacts and surfaces, but they can still see each other and have that sense of community,” he said. “If you arrive at the park and see that it is crowded without any form of social distance, then you may need to reconsider.”
Choose your contacts wisely
The size of a person’s existing social circle, as well as their possible exposure when working outside the home, should be included in their decision, said Smith. Choose people you trust to be honest about your possible exposure to the virus. “Remember that once you put them on your network, you are essentially sharing your network and your entire network between your groups,” he said.
Take into account the age of the people and the underlying health conditions, added Castel. “Are the family members you want to interact with most at risk for COVID infection?” she said. “If so, you may need to consider another way to connect with them that may be more secure.”
Remember where people travel – do they live in an area of high transmission? – as well as the way they practice social distancing, said Castel. It also matters what mode of transportation people take to meet, said Ompad: “If your friend negotiates with the rest of the world to come and see you, then he will be potentially exposed,” she said.
Keep the meetings small, said Castel, and tell people that if they or someone in your house isn’t feeling well, they should stay home.
If you want to expand your “quarantine family”, understand the risks
Not all public health professionals. agrees with the idea to merge quarantine households. Ompad, for his part, said that such a decision would depend on the potential exposure of each member of the household to the virus. “Until you have to do it, it’s probably a better idea not to do it,” he said.
But some families juggling work, child care and / or home school responsibilities may find it helpful to have an extra pair of hands during this time, said Landon. She and her son have an agreement with the family of four who live across the hall, with whom they have been close for years. (Landon is currently not exposed to patients with COVID-19).
“Teaming up with another family is not a bad idea, and it can be done safely and carefully to improve some of these problems,” he said. “We have to recognize that there is a risk, but it can be a solution to a problem that affects people.”
If you agree to be close to another family or individual without taking social precautions or masking, all parties must be vigilant in your interactions with everyone, said Landon. You can choose a person or family with whom your home will now interact regularly, perhaps cousins who visit weekly, or your best friend and children, but otherwise they will remain in quarantine. In this way, if someone fell ill, the infection would not spread beyond their slightly enlarged circle.
“Everyone has the right, as the situation improves, to have a few more contacts, we don’t have to be locked up forever,” said Landon. “But I think you should be careful about it.… Or have casual and careful contact when you wear a mask and keep a distance, or absorb someone in your family to have a group where everyone looks like a member of the household, so if someone gets sick, transmission will stop with the member of your household. “Try to minimize your casual contact with others,” he added.
Some people may want to be tested and / or quarantined for two weeks before joining someone else’s hangout. Discuss in advance what you will do if someone in the group develops symptoms of COVID-19, said Landon; It is particularly important in this situation that everyone understands and accepts the risks involved.
“If you don’t want to take all of that person’s risk,” said Landon, “then you should wear a mask and keep your distance.”
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