I’m not a medical person either. I’ve been wondering about this as well ... is socializing like this truly a medical risk, or is more a matter of “if you give an inch they’ll take a mile”? Where they don’t want to encourage this because then people may think it’s ok to get a little closer, and then a little closer, and closer still?
(Not a doctor.) I think this is exactly it. We are not good at following rules. Rules that have some flexibility provide an opening for people to take advantage.
I do think there’s a lot to be said for taking care of mental health, too. Because things like this aren’t always, “Tee hee...I NEED this and wine for my mental health” but honestly and truly needed for mental health and stability. Loneliness kills, too.
I’d love to hear Dr. Fauci weigh in on this, though I don’t think he will because of the bolder. I noticed the “expert” in this says that it violates the spirit of the guidelines, not that it actually puts you at more risk.
Note: We’re basically self-isolating. I’ve been out for take out once, and my H does all of our shopping once a week, so I’m not trying to justify my own actions here.
I saw another doctor about my shoulder and when discussing possible treatments, he said that the risk of contracting COVID depends on the viral load that you get exposed to, which makes sense. It seems like the viral load would be diminished outside and especially if you're not touching surfaces that the people you're visiting with touched. My medical training comes from watching ER and copious googling so my sciencing might be off.
I'm curious what CEP thinks, especially medical folks.
I’m not a medical person either. I’ve been wondering about this as well ... is socializing like this truly a medical risk, or is more a matter of “if you give an inch they’ll take a mile”? Where they don’t want to encourage this because then people may think it’s ok to get a little closer, and then a little closer, and closer still?
I feel bad because it’s my mom’s birthday tomorrow and Easter is coming up. I’ve talked with MH about visiting and just sitting in the backyard on opposite ends of the table. Probably not wise.
I think this. From observing people in the grocery store and pharmacy and people in our neighborhood hanging out at a “distance” it’s clear that some people aren’t taking the guidelines seriously and even well-intentioned people underestimate how far 6 feet actually is.
I didn’t like that the article doesn’t delve into the medical risks based in science but instead makes the argument based on the “spirit of social distancing”. Also it sounds like one doctor’s opinion vs the actual CDC recommendations we are being asked to adhere to. A lot of people near me are judging anyone that steps foot outside, the CDC said there are safe ways to get outside and that it is still important. Give me rules and I will follow them, but I don’t think we should all have to stay inside because some people shirk the rules.
It’s really fucking eerie to hear no street noise outside other than sirens 😢
I live in a flight path with very noisy motorbikes. The planes are a sort of clock I don't notice until about 11:30p-midnight and then at 6am because of operating hours at the airport. In that last half hour it seems there's a plan every couple minutes. It's all silent. Now my only alarm is that the trash trucks come between 11:30p and midnight. I never even noticed them before amidst the rest of the noises.
I didn’t like that the article doesn’t delve into the medical risks based in science but instead makes the argument based on the “spirit of social distancing”. Also it sounds like one doctor’s opinion vs the actual CDC recommendations we are being asked to adhere to. A lot of people near me are judging anyone that steps foot outside, the CDC said there are safe ways to get outside and that it is still important. Give me rules and I will follow them, but I don’t think we should all have to stay inside because some people shirk the rules.
Yeah, if there is a medical reason not to do this, then fine. And I think there is a good argument to be made about not going to a public park and doing something like a workout or a picnic with a friend while maintaining 6 feet of distance because you don’t want to be tacitly encouraging others who mag not realize how intentional you’re being.
But it is possible for my neighbors to come into my backyard without even touching the gate if we open it. They could sit 8 feet away from us around a fire pit, bring their own refreshments, return to their house to use the bathroom, and take their trash with them when they go. If we all sit in our assigned chairs and don’t touch any shared surfaces, I haven’t seen any evidence to show that this would be dangerous, especially since we’re all essentially quarantined.
We aren’t great at following rules, so I understand why we don’t want to encourage people to get hyper legalistic about this. But I also think publishing something that doesn’t cite any actual science isn’t particularly helpful, either.