Social Distancing Dos and Don’ts-Now Until April30th

Monday morning started out wet, but soon the rain blew through and the sun appeared behind the trees. Going outside to get fresh air and exercise is a DO while maintaining social distance.

Over the weekend we learned that the national social-distancing guidelines will continue through April 30th. Social Distancing is defined as remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance — approximately 6 feet or 2 meters — from others when possible.

A congregate settings is a public place that is crowded, where close contact with others may occur, such as shopping centers, movie theaters, stadiums.

“Act as if you have the virus and approach other people as if they have it too. This may sound extreme, but in an attempt to slow the spread, experts are asking us to carry out our daily lives with this level of caution.”
“The safest thing at this point is to really minimize contact with others to the fullest extent possible,” says Dr. Melinda Ring, MD, Executive Director of Northwestern Medicine’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine.
The goal of social distancing is to reduce person-to-person spread.  This happens through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You can spread the virus before you show symptoms of having COVID-19!

If all of adhere to the guidelines of social distancing, regardless age or current health status,  we have a chance at flattening the curve. We don’t  want to overwhelm our health care systems, which already have limited access to hospital beds, ventilators, equipment, medications, and health care workers.

Stay Updated: A Detailed Timeline of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Cases According to the CDC, WHO

 

Dos

  • Stay home
  • Keep medically-necessary doctors appointments
  • Go to the grocery store/pharmacy at non-peak times
  • Go Digital
  • Ask for home deliveries to be left at the door
  • Go outside and exercise
  • Going for take-out-send one family member
  • Keep your distance in an elevator
  • Maintain social contact with technology
  • Practice vigilant personal hygiene

Don’ts

  • Don’t schedule appointments that are not medically necessary
  • Don’t exercise elbow to elbow
  • Don’t have physical contact with non-family members
  • Don’t go to crowded establishments
  • Don’t go on vacation
  • Don’t hoard supplies
  • Don’t allow non-family members into your home
  • Don’t get your kids together with other kids

(from verywellmind.com)

Each of us will follow social distancing recommendations in ways that work for us.  For myself, going outside to get exercise keeps both my body and mind strong and healthy.

Research shows that having a healthy immune system prevents illness.  One of the dos I would add to the above list is Eat healthy whole foods to boost your immune system!

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