How do we get through the pandemic safely?
Look, it’s pretty simple…
- Wash your hands. You do when you have a cold, you do it when you have the flu, and you do it when you KNOW your hands are dirty. So, you know how to do it. Frequent hand washing is going to help.
- Maintain a physical distance from other of AT LEAST six feet. Six feet is not a magic number. We know “droplets” spread can occur up to six feet (maybe a bit more) but “aerosol” spread can go much further – up to 30 feet.
- Wear a mask anytime you go out…even if you are outside. Let’s break this down: wearing a mask does less to keep you safe than other people. You don’t know if you are carrying the Novel Coronavirus as an asymptomatic carrier so your protects those that you come near. Likewise, others do not know if they are asymptomatic carriers so they need to wear a mask to protect you. So you see…the masks are less about us and more about others; and we hope they will show the same respect and goodwill we show them by wearing a mask, too. This mutual protection is what makes mask wearing a civic duty of the highest order at this time. The video below does a great job in explaining this works.
Even better…use TWO methods of protection!
This will sound familiar to our friends and colleagues in teen pregnancy prevention and sexually transmitted disease infection prevention. In those fields it has been commonly taught that many people in a sexual relationship will benefit from using two methods at the same time if the goal is to avoid a pregnancy and reduce the risk of infection: a barrier method (e.g., a condom) and a contraceptive.
Well, the same is true in the prevention of the Novel Coronavirus. Our best protection is to use at least two methods: masks and physical distance.
You may have noticed that we are using the term “physical distance” instead of “social distance.” Frankly, we think “social distance” is a terrible term. We know people can maintain a social connection even when they are practicing “physical distancing.” We have learned this through the use of Zoom and other technologies in the first few months of this pandemic.
We encourage you to practice physical distancing even while you stay connected to people socially and emotionally through Zoom, social media, phones, and even pen and paper.
At Tenacious Change LLC we work with leaders, organizations, and communities to develop resilience in the face of disruption. The Novel Coronavirus and COVID-19 is a disruption on a global scale.
We have created a COVID-19 resource page for nonprofit organizations and their leaders. Please check it out and check back occasionally for updates.
To learn more about the spread of COVID-19 and how we can use masks to flatten the curve, take 11 minutes to watch the two videos below. It’s time to mask up!
Learn More About Where We Work & Our Clients
