Dog-walkers and diners in Boston’s North End neighborhood this month, when Massachusetts restaurants were allowed to re-open for outdoor service.
Photo: Steven Senne/Associated Press
As states across the country re-open and several report fresh outbreaks of the coronavirus, many people are unsure how to navigate this confusing time.
We asked experts about resuming a near-normal life while minimizing the risk of getting the virus that causes Covid-19.
What’s the latest thinking on how the virus spreads?
Health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have long focused on preventing transmission of the virus through droplets, largely through coughing and sneezing. Now, many experts say, there is increasing evidence that it can spread through smaller particles, called aerosols, which are released and inhaled through breathing, talking, singing and other activities. Unlike larger droplets, which quickly fall to the ground, aerosols can linger in the air for hours. Preventing transmission through these invisible particles is trickier and underscores the importance of face coverings and distance, air filtration and proper ventilation.
What’s the optimal social distance?
“Six feet is good, but 10 feet is better,” says Joseph Allen, director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who has warned about airborne transmission of the new coronavirus for months. More space from other people is always better, he and other experts say, and there is no magic number for the optimal distance.
Can we start expanding our social circles?
Yes, particularly if you are gathering outside and taking the proper precautions in terms of distance and masks. “The fewer contacts we have the better,” Dr. Allen says. “I think you can start to expand your circle but it depends on how seriously the other family is taking their precautions and if they have quarantined and locked down.”
Are elevators risky?
If you can, take the stairs. If you can’t, don’t board a crowded elevator—unless the lobby is more crowded. Don’t touch buttons if possible, though it is fine to use your elbow or even fingers as long as you avoid touching your face before cleaning your hands. Dr. Allen says try not to cough or sneeze but if you do, be sure to face the wall and have your mask on. Richard Corsi, dean of engineering and computer science at Portland State University in Oregon, says in an elevator your breathing rate matters. Someone who just went for a run may have a breathing rate that is 20 times greater than someone who was sitting on the couch beforehand. So if you come back from exercising, try to take the stairs. Dr. Corsi says a person speaking emits 10 times more particles than someone who is just breathing, so don’t talk on an elevator. And face away from other people.
Visitors at the Tunnel View lookout in Yosemite National Park in California this month.
Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesIs it safe to take a summer vacation?
Yes! “We need to get out and about in the world for our mental health,” Dr. Allen says. “We should take advantage of the summer when we can be outdoors because we don’t know what the winter is going to bring.”
Choose a destinations where it is easy to practice social distancing. That can include national parks and beaches if not crowded. Marybeth Sexton, assistant professor of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine, recommends places where you can bring your own food and supplies, or where there are options that make it easy to avoid crowded restaurants or grocery stores.
Can I get Covid-19 from swimming in a pool, lake or the ocean?
It is extremely unlikely. The bigger risk isn’t from the water itself, it is from how close you are to other people in the water, experts say. In a pool the chlorine treatments of the water should kill the virus that causes Covid-19, says Joshua Santarpia, an associate professor of pathology and microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. “People are worried about urine but the virus is not shed in urine,” says Ruth Collins, associate professor of molecular medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. Lakes and oceans have significant dilution factors and currents, Dr. Santarpia says.
Is camping OK?
It is a great idea. “Camping you’re usually only exposed to your family so it would be relatively safe,” says Stephen Gluckman, professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and medical director of Penn Global Medicine.
Linsey Marr, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech, says the main concern with camping is using a poorly ventilated or crowded bathroom. Try to use restrooms that are empty and wear a mask.
If camping with people outside your immediate family, maintain the 6-feet distance even when outside, don’t share food and drinks, and try not to touch each other’s supplies (or wash or sanitize your hands before and after if you do).
What about an RV?
This may be the year of the RV vacation. Dr. Marr says her family scrapped plans for an international trip involving planes, hotels and rental cars in favor of a holiday in a rented RV. “The only thing we really need to do is go get groceries,” Dr. Marr says. Dr. Gluckman also is planning an RV vacation, in September in the Pacific Northwest. “RVs are relatively safe,” he says. “They’re not too different from being at home.”
Any tips for visiting national parks?
National parks can be crowded in the summer. Many are just reopening and not opening all their trails or operating shuttle buses. Dr. Marr says on her family’s RV trip they chose lightly traveled hiking trails and went during off-hours to avoid crowds. When hiking, keep a face covering handy so you can put it on when passing others on trails.
Swimmers gathered at Fairfax Beach on Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Ind., over the Memorial Day weekend.
Photo: Jeremy Hogan/Zuma PressWhat is safer: A hotel or a rented house?
Rental houses are less risky because inside there is no exposure to anyone but your traveling companions. In a hotel, avoid common areas like the lobby and pool. Skip the daily housekeeping and turn-down service to avoid others entering your room. In a rental property, ask the owner to open the windows before you arrive. Dr. Allen says, “Time is a disinfectant and it will dilute anything in the air.” If you can have a day between you and the previous occupants, that allows time for the virus to decay on any surfaces and the air to change over, Dr. Marr says. “Despite the expectation that places that rent houses will be diligent about cleaning I would probably bring my own supply of wipes and wipe everything down,” says Dr. Gluckman.
What about renting a car?
Dr. Sexton says try to make sure at least a couple of hours have elapsed before you get into a car that someone else rented. Make sure the rental firm wiped down the steering wheels, handles and other high-touch areas. “If you have the windows open even for a little bit anything in the air should be gone,” says Dr. Allen.
How can I minimize risks while using public restrooms?
There is evidence that the new coronavirus is in fecal matter though it’s unclear if it can be transmitted from fecal matter, Dr. Collins says. She says it is likely as that is the case for other coronavirus infections.
Always wear a mask in a restroom because many are poorly ventilated, Dr. Marr says. Push the door open without using your hands, if possible. Don’t use air dryers, which may spread the viral particles.
Is it safe for my house cleaner to return?
Try not to be home when your cleaner comes over, Dr. Sexton says. The company she uses does symptom and temperature screenings of employees, who wear masks when working. Dr. Marr said her family had their cleaner resume work a few weeks ago and made sure to air the house before she came. They kept the windows open while she was there. She recommends airing your house or apartment for an hour or so after the cleaner leaves. Dr. Gluckman says to make sure your cleaner wears gloves; if you are home at the same time, you both should wear face coverings.
Should I send my child to day camp or hire a babysitter for the summer?
In general, experts say, hiring a babysitter poses less risk than sending a child to camp because of fewer outside contacts. But if you want your children to socialize with others, a shared babysitter with another family may be the best option. “A babysitter shared with another family minimizes the number of contacts,” says Dr. Marr. Make sure you share a babysitter with a family who shares the same precautions as you do, says Dr. Gluckman. If you do a day camp, try to make it an outdoor one that focuses on sports like tennis or surfing.
What about sleepaway camp?
This one is tricky as children from different areas of the country are converging. Some camps cluster children in groups of 10 or so to spend all their time together. They bunk in the same cabin so they don’t have to social distance or wear masks with their cluster, only with other people in camp. Experts say this approach is fine but may be challenging during meals or larger camp activities. Also, it is important that staff aren’t coming and going from camp—and possibly becoming infected—and outsiders aren’t coming in. Testing for the virus before camp isn’t always reliable and it is hard to monitor mandatory 14-day quarantines before coming to camp. “You could have Covid circulating in a camp for a while before you know,” Dr. Sexton says.
What’s the safest way to visit grandparents?
Experts advise keeping visits outside and wearing masks when not at least six feet apart. Everyone should wash or sanitize their hands frequently. And no-one feeling under the weather should be visiting. It is fine to use the bathroom in a grandparent’s home, particularly if there is more than one. It is a good idea to designate one bathroom for visitors and make sure the window is open or the exhaust fan is on.
Hands should be sanitized before entering and washed before leaving. The homeowner should clean the bathroom after all visitors have left and even wait a day if there are other bathrooms that can be used.
A quick hug is fine if people aren’t facing one other, Dr. Marr says. She advises against sharing food or serving buffet-style meals.
“Here’s where 10 feet is better than six,” Dr. Allen says. “If I’m with my mom I would give a little bit more distance.”
Can I go to the gym?
Try to exercise outdoors or at home when you can. It’s hard to be six feet or more away from other people at a gym so unless your gym is limiting the number of people in it or spacing equipment adequately, be cautious.
Also, see how much ventilation is in your gym. Look for open windows and ask about their air filtration systems.
Try to exercise outdoors rather than in a gym, some health experts recommend. A runner worked out last month on Willard Beach in South Portland, Maine.
Photo: Robert F. Bukaty/Associated PressCopyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
"social" - Google News
June 15, 2020 at 09:19PM
https://ift.tt/30K7A8Q
The New Rules of Social Distancing: Health Experts Answer Your Questions - The Wall Street Journal
"social" - Google News
https://ift.tt/38fmaXp
https://ift.tt/2WhuDnP
Bagikan Berita Ini
ReplyDeleteada 9 permainan poker menarik di AJOQQ :D
ayo segera bergabung dan dapatkan bonusnya :D
WA : +855969190856