We have been getting lots of questions about how to safely navigate the process of re-entry to school, work, play, etc. Experts are cautioning that as we open back up there will be more potential exposure, but that does not mean we cannot take steps to protect ourselves. Three highly effective precautions are: 1) wash your hands well and often 2) wear a mask if you cannot maintain 6 feet of social distance with people who are not part of your household 3) avoid touching your face. Some experts are also talking about the idea of a “social bubble” or “quarantine “pod” in which two or three families agree to socialize with one another but no one else. In a pod, families hang out together, often without regard to social distancing — but outside of the pod, they follow recommended social distancing rules. There is no perfect answer or universal solution, every family needs to balance their needs with potential risks and make a decision that is right for them. If you have questions, feel free to set up an appointment to discuss this further with your doctor at PWG.
Here are some important updates about COVID we thought you should know:
- COVID lockdowns prevented 60M cases in the US
- Children with COVID-19 were rarely the source of infections in their household, according to a study published in May. Many experts are advocating for strategies that allow children/young adults to go back to school safely because of growing evidence that prolonged isolation can harm their social development.
- There is no current evidence that pets play a significant role in spreading COVID-19 to people
- Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare inflammatory condition linked to COVID, but we still do not know a lot about it. Many cases are concentrated on the East Coast, unclear if this is because the East Coast was hit by a variant from Europe while the West Coast was hit by a variant from China
- Anywhere from 30% to 50% of coronavirus spread may be traced to people with no symptoms. This reinforces the importance of following 3 basic precautions: 1) wash your hands well and often 2) wear a mask if you cannot maintain 6 feet of social distance with people who are not part of your household 3) avoid touching your face
There are multiple guidelines that can change rapidly as we learn more about COVID, rest assured that Team PWG is working constantly to update our protocols to keep our families, staff, and community safe!