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| Neighbors Not Practicing Social Distancing? Here’s What to Do | Neighbors Not Practicing Social Distancing? Here’s What to Do |
| (3 days later) | |
| The C.D.C. has issued guidelines for the public to wear masks when outside one’s home and to practice social distancing — remaining at least six feet away from those outside your household. All of this is with the goal of preventing community spread of coronavirus. But these guidelines are not laws. The level to which people follow them — or even flout them — has varied. | The C.D.C. has issued guidelines for the public to wear masks when outside one’s home and to practice social distancing — remaining at least six feet away from those outside your household. All of this is with the goal of preventing community spread of coronavirus. But these guidelines are not laws. The level to which people follow them — or even flout them — has varied. |
| That’s creating tension between those who think they’re already doing the right thing on social distancing and those who think they are not. (Not to mention those who just don’t care about the recommendations.) | That’s creating tension between those who think they’re already doing the right thing on social distancing and those who think they are not. (Not to mention those who just don’t care about the recommendations.) |
| “It’s challenging because what we’re being left to do is pretty much police ourselves,” said Elaine Swann, a lifestyle and etiquette expert. And while some egregious violators are getting tickets or being arrested after going against guidelines and executive orders — Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey regularly names and shames “knuckleheads” in his daily press briefings — the police aren’t able to watch everyone, all the time. | “It’s challenging because what we’re being left to do is pretty much police ourselves,” said Elaine Swann, a lifestyle and etiquette expert. And while some egregious violators are getting tickets or being arrested after going against guidelines and executive orders — Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey regularly names and shames “knuckleheads” in his daily press briefings — the police aren’t able to watch everyone, all the time. |
| “Most people are trying to act in the best way they know how in the context of not knowing too much about a virus that’s killing a lot of people,” said Aziza Ahmed, professor of law at the Northeastern University School of Law and an expert on health law. | “Most people are trying to act in the best way they know how in the context of not knowing too much about a virus that’s killing a lot of people,” said Aziza Ahmed, professor of law at the Northeastern University School of Law and an expert on health law. |
| Here’s what to do when you see someone acting in a way that you feel puts everyone’s health at risk. | Here’s what to do when you see someone acting in a way that you feel puts everyone’s health at risk. |
| If someone is putting you at risk, such as by ignoring six-foot markers while waiting in line to pay at a grocery store, speak up. | If someone is putting you at risk, such as by ignoring six-foot markers while waiting in line to pay at a grocery store, speak up. |
| “We have to be very forward with making sure that we communicate with the individual,” Ms. Swann said. “Turn to that individual and, very frankly, very honestly, with respect and consideration, say, ‘Will you please take a few steps back? I would like to make sure I’m protecting both you and me.’” | “We have to be very forward with making sure that we communicate with the individual,” Ms. Swann said. “Turn to that individual and, very frankly, very honestly, with respect and consideration, say, ‘Will you please take a few steps back? I would like to make sure I’m protecting both you and me.’” |
| This may offend the other person, she said, but they are putting your health at risk, and you have every right to speak up for yourself. “Don’t worry about how the other person might feel. Say what you need to say, do it with grace and dignity, and allow them to deal with their feelings and emotions about what just transpired,” Ms. Swann said. | This may offend the other person, she said, but they are putting your health at risk, and you have every right to speak up for yourself. “Don’t worry about how the other person might feel. Say what you need to say, do it with grace and dignity, and allow them to deal with their feelings and emotions about what just transpired,” Ms. Swann said. |
| You can also make changes if you feel an environment is not safe for you. “I can control my own behavior more than I can control others’ behavior,” said Bethany Teachman, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. For example, she recently went into a grocery store where the employees were not wearing masks. She first spoke to the manager and thanked the store for providing a community service. “At the same time, I wanted them to know I was uncomfortable that the staff wasn’t wearing masks,” she said. She has decided she won’t go back unless she calls ahead and she confirms they are using masks. | You can also make changes if you feel an environment is not safe for you. “I can control my own behavior more than I can control others’ behavior,” said Bethany Teachman, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. For example, she recently went into a grocery store where the employees were not wearing masks. She first spoke to the manager and thanked the store for providing a community service. “At the same time, I wanted them to know I was uncomfortable that the staff wasn’t wearing masks,” she said. She has decided she won’t go back unless she calls ahead and she confirms they are using masks. |
| A neighbor working in his yard coughs without covering the cough; your neighbor’s mom comes over and hugs her grandchildren; you see neighbors having a drink closer to five feet apart than six. | A neighbor working in his yard coughs without covering the cough; your neighbor’s mom comes over and hugs her grandchildren; you see neighbors having a drink closer to five feet apart than six. |
| None of these situations put you at risk, but they still spike extra anxiety on top of the existing anxiety of living in a pandemic, said M.J. Ryan, executive coach and author of “The Power of Patience: How This Old-Fashioned Virtue Can Improve Your Life.” | None of these situations put you at risk, but they still spike extra anxiety on top of the existing anxiety of living in a pandemic, said M.J. Ryan, executive coach and author of “The Power of Patience: How This Old-Fashioned Virtue Can Improve Your Life.” |
| “We’re already on alert, so the amygdala goes ‘threat!’ and it turns on a fight or flight response,” Ms. Ryan said, referring to the part of the brain that’s involved in emotional response. “Fight goes from irritation to lack of patience, frustration, all the way to rage.” | “We’re already on alert, so the amygdala goes ‘threat!’ and it turns on a fight or flight response,” Ms. Ryan said, referring to the part of the brain that’s involved in emotional response. “Fight goes from irritation to lack of patience, frustration, all the way to rage.” |
| One way to override this response is to engage in compassion. Instead of getting angry about a neighbor whose actions have no effect on you, Ms. Ryan recommended to mentally wish them well with a phrase like “May they be safe and protected” or “May they be free from harm.” These kinds of loving, kind and compassionate thoughts can stop the urge to “go over there and slap that person,” Ms. Ryan said. | One way to override this response is to engage in compassion. Instead of getting angry about a neighbor whose actions have no effect on you, Ms. Ryan recommended to mentally wish them well with a phrase like “May they be safe and protected” or “May they be free from harm.” These kinds of loving, kind and compassionate thoughts can stop the urge to “go over there and slap that person,” Ms. Ryan said. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| She also recommends thanking people when they do practice appropriate social distancing. It “reinforces the behavior in other people and it just gives them a little feel-good hit because their kindness is being acknowledged,” she said. | She also recommends thanking people when they do practice appropriate social distancing. It “reinforces the behavior in other people and it just gives them a little feel-good hit because their kindness is being acknowledged,” she said. |
| Even if we think we know what is best, we don’t always know the context of what we’re seeing. “We have to have some sensitivity to the fact that we don’t know the entirety of the situation,” Ms. Ahmed said. | Even if we think we know what is best, we don’t always know the context of what we’re seeing. “We have to have some sensitivity to the fact that we don’t know the entirety of the situation,” Ms. Ahmed said. |
| That gaggle of children riding bikes may be a blended family, that group hanging out together in a backyard might be a multigenerational family that lives in the same home, or the person in the closed park may be homeless and trying to social distance themselves. “That’s very different than if you saw someone going to the grocery store and licking oranges,” she said. | That gaggle of children riding bikes may be a blended family, that group hanging out together in a backyard might be a multigenerational family that lives in the same home, or the person in the closed park may be homeless and trying to social distance themselves. “That’s very different than if you saw someone going to the grocery store and licking oranges,” she said. |
| Most municipalities have also asked citizens to call nonemergency police lines if they see something that makes them uncomfortable. Ms. Swann, who was a flight attendant post-9/11, likens it to the “If you see something, say something” campaigns. “It’s important for the well-being of our community to follow those guidelines,” she said, though common sense should prevail. “There’s a difference between being a nosy Gladys from ‘Bewitched’ and actually doing your due diligence as a citizen.” | Most municipalities have also asked citizens to call nonemergency police lines if they see something that makes them uncomfortable. Ms. Swann, who was a flight attendant post-9/11, likens it to the “If you see something, say something” campaigns. “It’s important for the well-being of our community to follow those guidelines,” she said, though common sense should prevail. “There’s a difference between being a nosy Gladys from ‘Bewitched’ and actually doing your due diligence as a citizen.” |