COVID-19 cases are rising again as we are seeing more people. Here are tips on how to gather safely so that we can keep the number of cases low.
✅ Keep your groups small
✅ Stay in your own group & know everyone’s contact info
✅ Avoid gathering with different groups every day
✅ Stay physically distant
✅ Choose outdoor activities
Check out the interview for more details!
How do we decide what activities are safe to do during the pandemic? Which activities are still too risky? It is confusing to know what we can and can’t do now that things are opening up. In this video, I go over a simple method that uses the phrase “Time Space People Place” to assess risk, so we can make informed decisions about what activities we choose to do when we leave our homes.
Will warmer weather make COVID-19 go away?
Do home remedies work?
Should we take Vitamin D to prevent COVID-19?
Can flushing the toilet spread COVID-19?
These questions and more discussed on today’s chat!
Runny nose? Sneezing? Coughing? Is it allergies or is it COVID-19? Do I have to self-isolate? Dr. Yvette Lu looks at how to tell the difference between seasonal allergy and COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) symptoms. She also discusses how seasonal allergies can look different in children and how to manage seasonal allergy symptoms including both lifestyle (non-pharmacologic) and pharmacologic measures like antihistamines.
Family physician Dr. Yvette Lu breaks down some of the new information from the WHO on mask use during the pandemic.
Here is additional information from the WHO:
Correction: In the video, I said that a woven cotton mask has a filter quality factor of approximately 7. Knit cotton has a filter quality factor of approximately 7.5. Woven cotton has a filter quality factor of approximately 5.4. I’ve included the table from the WHO document below.
Family physician Dr. Yvette Lu explains how to tell the difference between symptoms from seasonal allergies as compared to COVID-19 infection.
Dr. Yvette Lu on Breakfast Television Canada answering question from kids.
May 10, 2020.
Dr. Yvette Lu, MD, B.Sc, CCFP, FCFP.
WE ARE OPENING UP SOON.
This week, we had the happy news that we are opening up again soon. We will be opening up in phases, with caution, and with physical distancing measures and handwashing recommendations remaining in place.
A lot of people have been anxious and confused about how much to open up and what this means. Is it really safe? Does this mean I can see my friends? Does this mean that I can have house parties? Must I wear a mask?
The reason why public health has not given a lot of specific rules about opening up is because everyone and every business has a different situation. Opening up will require thoughtful creativity.
CAN I SEE MY FRIENDS?
One of the things that will be okay to do in the next phase will be to expand our social circle or social bubble of people we can see in person instead of online. How much you expand it depends on your level of risk and the risk level of people you are in close contact with. For example, if you have a chronic illness that puts you at risk of having a severe COVID-19 infection, you may not want to expand your social bubble at all. If you don’t have an illness but you live with elderly parents or with someone who is immunosuppressed, similarly, you may not want to expand your bubble.
When you choose who you want to include in your bubble, I’d advise you to talk to them about their risk level and who they are in contact with. Are they sending their kids to school? Are they going to be seeing a lot of other families on play dates? If you are adding people to your bubble who have a lot of contacts themselves, then you will have a higher risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. Remember, every person they are in contact with becomes someone who can spread the infection to you.
If you are expanding your bubble, I recommend that you proceed with caution. You will have to make choices. If your child wants to see their best friend on a play date, then perhaps it might be better to stay physically distanced from grandma and grandpa. If your child has eight best friends, it might be best to just choose one or maybe two families to be close with for now. Every family will make different choices based on their acceptable level of risk. We have seen super spreaders of the novel coronavirus, and we know that if someone is meeting up with a lot of different people and going to a lot of places, it is possible for a single person to spread the virus to many people, so please be careful and thoughtful.
CAN I HAVE A HOUSE PARTY?
The rules in BC are that there should be no gatherings greater then fifty people. Other jurisdictions have similar rules. This does not mean that you can have a house party with forty-nine people. Your gatherings will be with the families and people that you have chosen to be part of your social bubble. Additionally, it might be best to meet with one family at a time, as opposed to multiple families at once to reduce the chance of spread. You also don’t want to be meeting with different groups of people each night. Select a small group of people to be part of your bubble and leave it at that for now.
The novel coronavirus spreads best when people are in close and prolonged contact, so when you are thinking about meeting up with people, you need to think about both who you are meeting up with and where. Meeting outdoors is best, as the wind and the light disrupts the ability of the virus to spread effectively. If there are people you want to see, but can’t include them in your social bubble, you could consider having a physically distanced meeting outdoors. There is some risk to this as children can be hard to keep apart from each other. Also, I find we are misjudging the distance of two meters, and it can be easy to unintentionally find ourselves closer than two meters. Once again, you will be the best judge if that is an acceptable level of risk.
HOW WILL BUSINESSES WORK?
Public health has left it up to individual businesses and business associations to creatively figure out what would be the best way for them to follow safety guidelines of physical distancing. I think this is wise as they are not experts in how individual businesses are run and what modifications they can make.
Some ideas include things we have already seen like:
If you’re a business, ask yourself:
DO I NEED TO WEAR A MASK?
Masks work best when people are in close and prolonged contact. Masks may help prevent asymptomatic people from spreading the virus to others. As we open up, we may be in situations when we have to be in close contact, like at the hair salon. If you’re going to be closer than two meters to someone else for a prolonged period of time (more than 15-30 minutes), it would be best to wear a face mask or covering.
Watch my video on masks for more information:
Also check out my new video on what to expect this summer with regard to physical distancing, events and sports events:
I know it’s been a challenging few months for a lot of people. We have done so well and we need to continue to be patient and careful. For opening up to work, it will require us all to be thoughtful and responsible. We must think about our risk level and the risk level of our loved ones. We must stay home when we are sick. We must wash our hands.
People have asked me if it’s okay to share my posts. Yes, please feel free to share them. Information helps alleviate fear and anxiety, and that’s why I take the time to write these.
Be Kind. Be Calm. Be Safe.
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Featured image: Balcony Concerts. “I would like through this illustration to show solidarity, generosity, creativity between people even with social distancing. We are all together and we are all support and take care of everyone !” Image created by Catherine Cordasco. Submitted for United Nations Global Call Out To Creatives – help stop the spread of COVID-1.
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This post is also on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/yvette.lu/posts/10157621161998305
Previous COVID-19 Updates:
April 18, 2020: https://www.facebook.com/yvette.lu/posts/10157537040363305
April 07, 2020: https://www.facebook.com/yvette.lu/posts/10157501704518305
March 27, 2020: https://www.facebook.com/yvette.lu/posts/10157464504278305
March 22, 2020: https://www.facebook.com/yvette.lu/posts/10157442986918305
March 17, 2020: https://www.facebook.com/yvette.lu/posts/10157427491688305
March 14, 2020: https://www.facebook.com/yvette.lu/posts/10157418003548305
What will my summer of 2020 look like? Do I have to physically distance? How many people can I socialize with? What on earth is a pandemic bubble? Is it safe to eat at restaurants? Can I host a gathering? Will there be concerts and festivals? Can I play outdoor sports? Will there be organized sports? How will everything look when we open up?
Dr. Yvette Lu looks at what to expect for the summer of 2020 as we continue to deal with the challenges of living during a COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Lu answers questions submitted by kids. Great questions, kids!
