October 2020 — Dear Pandemic

October 31, 2020

My husband is working at a place where everyone wears masks. I am higher risk & retired… Should he be sleeping in a separate room from me?

A: When bed partners have varying degrees of risk of exposure and vulnerability to the disease, it’s worth discussing sleeping in separate spaces. The Nerdy Girls call this COVID Bed Spread. Here are some benefits to sleeping apart from other household members: 1.) REDUCED RISK OF VIRAL EXPOSURE (in both directions). Spending six or more …

October 31, 2020

¿Cómo me mantengo seguro cuando vaya a votar en persona?

Posts en Español Staying Safe

R: ¡La preparación es clave! Puede protegerse a sí mismo y los demás mientras ejerce su derecho al voto. Si planea votar en persona el día de las elecciones o por adelantado, lea a continuación los consejos sobre cómo prepararse y cómo mantenerse seguro cuando esté en su lugar de votación. Aunque el riesgo no …

October 31, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A

Socializing Staying Safe Videos

Drs. Grainger and Parkinson take your COVID questions! Today we tackled: ➡️ Intro + Halloween plans (:00 – 4:40) ➡️ Lightning round! (4:45 – 10:55) ➡️ Is it OK to have surgery? (11:00 – 16:30) ➡️ Hard truths re: Turkey Day (16:40 – 22:25) ➡️ Restaurants’ outdoor “dining domes” (22:30 – 27:39) ➡️ Risk-taking and …

October 30, 2020

What can I do about my own anxiety when it seems like everyone is anxious right now?

Mental Health

A: Focus on what you can control and take it from there. There is a lot to feel anxious about right now. A recent survey from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) suggests that nearly 2 in 3 respondents reported more anxiety this year than at the same time last year. And experts believe that uncertainty …

October 30, 2020

¿Cómo celebrar el Día de los Muertos de manera segura?

Posts en Español Staying Safe

R: Como muchas cosas, el Día de los Muertos va a ser diferente este año, pero con un poco de creatividad si podremos celebrar de manera segura. Esta es una tradición muy celebrada en la población latina y afortunadamente las recomendaciones son compatibles con la reducción de daños de COVID: usar una mascarilla, mantenerse al …

October 30, 2020

What’s the risk of transmission if I’m sharing indoor space with an infected person? What can I do to reduce my risk?

Infection and Spread

A: Because the virus can travel in small aerosols that accumulate indoors, transmission risk is strongly related to crowded, poorly ventilated rooms with loud talking and no masks for long durations of time. This means you can greatly reduce your risk by following the Nerdy Girls #StaySMART principles: SPACE – Keep your distance (more than …

October 29, 2020

My college-age son and several of his friends had COVID19 while they were away at school.

Families Infection and Spread

Q: Is it safe to allow them to spend a few days at our house over Thanksgiving? Can they still spread the virus? A: So long as your son (and friends) have been fever-free for 24 hours, it’s been at least 10 days since he was diagnosed, and his symptoms are getting better then you …

October 29, 2020

Does the new CDC guidance about avoiding 15 minutes cumulative contact mean with masks or without masks?

Infection and Spread Masks Testing and Contact Tracing

A: In the community setting, someone who meets the criteria for being a close contact to a case of COVID-19, meets the criteria REGARDLESS of whether or not they or the case had on a mask. Why is someone considered a close contact regardless of whether they had on a mask? While cloth masks are …

October 29, 2020

¿Es seguro dar o recibir abrazos?

Families Posts en Español Staying Safe

R: Los abrazos traen muchos beneficios psicológicos y se pueden dar con un riesgo relativamente bajo. Como puede adivinar las precauciones de la pandemia todavía aplican. Si planea dar abrazos, su “eSMART kit de herramientas” ayuda a maximizar los beneficios de los abrazos que incluye hormonas de felicidad y alivio de estrés mientras minimiza …

October 28, 2020

Preferiría votar en persona ¿Cuáles son mis opciones?

Posts en Español Staying Safe

P: Preferiría votar en persona, pero me preocupan las largas filas y la aglomeración de gente el día de las elecciones. ¿Cuáles son mis opciones? R: Depende del estado donde viva. Como recordatorio, el día de las elecciones en los EE. UU. es este martes 3 de noviembre pero en muchos estados se puede votar …

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