COVID SAFE HOLIDAYS AND SOCIALIZATION: IS COVID SAFE SOCIALIZATION POSSIBLE IN A DECEMBER 2020 COVID 19 WORLD?

Yes, You Can Help Save Lives. “First Do No Harm” to yourself and others.

If you commit to using proven, safe, effective and cost effective infection control strategies, you can help prevent the spread of COVID – 19 disease and death. “The life you save may be your own.”

We know that many are saddened and disturbed by the fact that many of the recent increases in Covid 19 cases and deaths could have been prevented. Don’t let that disturbance interfere with our resolve to “First Do No Harm”, “Do Good” and “Do The Right Things” to prevent the spread of COVID -19 Disease and Death. Your servant leadership … your good example can go a long way to help demonstrate COVID SAFE BEHAVIOR.

Take the best care of yourself along the way. If you don’t take care of yourself, you will not be able to help anyone else. Boost your health and resistance to disease with proper rest, sleep, meditation, food, water, clothing, shelter, fresh air and sunshine. Take some walks in nature when you can. Let us know if you need help.

MFM

COVID – 19 DISEASE PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT

COVID SAFE CHECKLIST & PLEDGE 

UPDATE DECEMBER 2020

HOW TO HAVE SAFE, HEALTHY AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS DESPITE THE COVID – 19 PANDEMIC

AND

What to do during the Current COVID 19 Surge?

SAFETY FIRST: “FIRST DO NO HARMâ€

Safe Travels and Safe Operating Strategies that will enable you to survive and thrive during the COVID 19 Pandemic

Guidance Based upon “Verifiable Truth & Actionable Factâ€

“Act On Factâ€

•SIMPLE •PROVEN •SAFE •EFFECTIVE •COST EFFECTIVE 
STRATEGIES & CHECKLIST.

StepWisely® Top Ten Targets To Prevent The Spread of COVID – 19 Disease and Death

COVID SAFE BORING BASICS 11/20/2020

“FIRST DO NO HARM†to yourself and others.

1. WEAR A MASK when in doubt, or when you are in high risk situations.  

•Unsure? WEAR A MASK!

When you are in closed spaces and/or in close proximity with other people, a mask will reduce chances of spread from you to others and from others to you.  

•DOUBLE MASK: Wear a disposable mask under your “face covering†mask, when in very high risk situations (like hospitals and other facilities that house and isolate COVID-19 patients).

FACTS: SCIENCE & MEDICINE MASK BENEFITS

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/masking-science-sars-cov2.html

2. •KEEP YOUR DISTANCE (6 feet minimum) & •WALK AWAY from people who are not wearing masks, especially when indoors and in high risk situations.

FACTS: SCIENCE & MEDICINE AIRBORNE TRANSMISSION

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/scientific-brief-sars-cov-2.html

3. WASH YOUR HANDS with SOAP and WATER after contact with people and objects that might be contaminated with viral particles. If you don’t have access to soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and wash your hands with soap and water as soon as possible.

4. **ISOLATE & QUARANTINE YOURSELF, if you have been exposed to known, or suspected COVID 19 spreaders.  

Quarantine yourself for at least two weeks and until you are no longer shedding and capable of spreading the virus. (at least two weeks, or until two negative virus tests / cleared by your physician/caregiver).  

5. **ISOLATE & QUARANTINE YOURSELF, if you have signs and symptoms of COVID – 19 infection. 

Quarantine yourself for at least two weeks and until you are no longer shedding and capable of spreading the virus. (at least two weeks, or until two negative virus tests / cleared by your physician/caregiver).  

**Isolation vs Quarantine: What’s the difference and why are my rules so strict?  

SEE ** below

*Signs and symptoms of Covid – 19 Infection: Headache, fever, cough, cold, loss of smell, indigestion

6. GET TESTED for the virus, 
•if you think you might be a “COVID – 19†spreader, or 
•if you have signs and symptoms that might be COVID – 19 illness
(Headache, fever, cough, cold, loss of smell, indigestion)
•if you are suspicious that you are a COVID – 19 Carrier with NO SYMPTOMS.

7. DECONTAMINATE and DISINFECT Surfaces and Inanimate Objects

Ethanol (more than 50%) and dilute chlorine bleach will kill the virus. Both are relatively safe, but, overall, ethanol is safer than chlorine.

8. GET TESTED FREQUENTLY and 
Continue ALL BORING BASICS 
of infection prevention and infection control to 
generate 
•Safe Operating Strategies and 
•Safe Opening Strategies and 
•Safe Socialization Strategies, for 
•Work, 
•School and 
•Home

9. SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION: 
A. Urgent
•need diagnosis and 
•early treatment, are 
•uncertain, or 
•overwhelmed and 
•don’t know what to do about your COVID – 19 Status

B. EMERGENCY: CALL 911/YOUR PHYSICIAN, OR GET TO A HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM: 
If you have signs of serious and/or life threatening COVID – 19 Infection such as, but not limited to shortness of breath, blue lips, blue skin, chest pain, weakness, lethargy, unable to eat and/or drink, change in mental status, high fever. New treatments have been proven beneficial at certain patients at specific stages of COVID – 19 disease.

10. VACCINATION: Get the COVID – 19 Vaccine as soon as it is available to you. The current vaccines available in the US are safe and effective.

REFERENCES

1. CDC COVID – 19 Self Checker: Helps You Determine Your COVID – 19 Status

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/coronavirus-self-checker.html

2. CDC Signs & Symptoms of COVID – 19 Infection

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.

3. GENERAL INFECTION CONTROL FACTS AND OVERVIEW OF COVID – 19

**ISOLATION & QUARANTINE

Conventional wisdom is failing to control the COVID – 19 pandemic, because it does not acknowledge the minimally symptomatic “spreaders†among us. You have to be strict, until you have further information from RAPID POINT OF CARE TESTING to distinguish asymptomatic “spreaders†from those at risk of infection.

IN GENERAL

Most of us are in isolation of one form or another, to prevent the spread of COVID – 19 disease and death. Why? There are many asymptomatic spreaders of COVID – 19 Disease. They have the infection, but they have minimal, or no symptoms.

Generally speaking, isolation separates people from each other. Strictly speaking, isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick. Quarantine is a type of isolation that separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick within a defined time period, known as the incubation period. The problem with COVID – 19 is the frequency of minimally symptomatic spreaders of the virus, disease and death.

Sometimes, when we are NOT CERTAIN about a particular germ’s characteristics, we isolate and quarantine people (simultaneously) until we can figure it out. The rule of 40 days quarantine is based upon observations from centuries ago. Incubation periods and contagiousness for most infections rarely exceeds 40 days … 6 weeks … ok 42 days. There are exceptions to this rule, but Tuberculosis and Typhoid are good examples. Generally speaking these bugs are identifiable so specific infection control strategies can be put into effect to protect those who are not infected from the one(s) who are infected.

VENTILATION & FILTRATION OF AIR to Reduce Concentration of Viral Particles and “DOSEâ€, or LOAD of Virus Encountered (Concentration•Time•Inhaled Air Volume•Inhaled Viral Particles)

Objective? Breath Clean, Fresh, Virus Free Air: The Role of Ventilation & Filtration

Ventilation: •Movement of Fresh, Clean Air into a room and exhaust of stale are out of a room.
•Movement of fresh gas into the lungs (inhalation) and used gas out of the lungs (exhalation).

History and Etymology for ventilation
borrowed from Latin ventilÄtiÅn-, ventilÄtiÅ, from ventilÄre “to expose to the air, VENTILATE” + -tiÅn-, -tiÅ, suffix of action nouns

Keeping it simple?

Stay outside when you are with others, when possible.

Masks are personal air filters. They filter (more or less) the gases inhaled into and exhaled from the lungs.

Building ventilation is simple, or complex. Open the windows when you can to get rid of dirty (contaminated) air and increase clean (virus free) air and to DILUTE the CONCENTRATION of VIRUS PARTICLES IN THE AIR.

CDC on Ventilation Systems For Schools (and other closed buildings)

Consider ventilation system upgrades or improvements and other steps to increase the delivery of clean air and dilute potential contaminants in the school. Obtain consultation from experienced Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) professionals when considering changes to HVAC systems and equipment. Some of the recommendations below are based on the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Guidance for Building Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemicexternal icon. Review additional ASHRAE guidelines for schools and universitiespdf iconexternal icon for further information on ventilation recommendations for different types of buildings and building readiness for occupancy. Not all steps are applicable for all scenarios.

Improvement steps may include some or all of the following activities:

Increase outdoor air ventilation, using caution in highly polluted areas.
When weather conditions allow, increase fresh outdoor air by opening windows and doors. Do not open windows and doors if doing so poses a safety or health risk (e.g., risk of falling, triggering asthma symptoms) to children using the facility.
Use fans to increase the effectiveness of open windows. Position fans securely and carefully in or near windows so as not to induce potentially contaminated airflow directly from one person over another (strategic window fan placement in exhaust mode can help draw fresh air into room via other open windows and doors without generating strong room air currents).
Decrease occupancy in areas where outdoor ventilation cannot be increased.
Ensure ventilation systems operate properly and provide acceptable indoor air quality for the current occupancy level for each space.
Increase total airflow supply to occupied spaces, when possible.
Disable demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) controls that reduce air supply based on occupancy or temperature during occupied hours.
Further open minimum outdoor air dampers to reduce or eliminate HVAC air recirculation. In mild weather, this will not affect thermal comfort or humidity. However, this may be difficult to do in cold, hot, or humid weather.
Improve central air filtration:
Increase air filtrationexternal icon to as high as possible without significantly diminishing design airflow.
Inspect filter housing and racks to ensure appropriate filter fit and check for ways to minimize filter bypass
Check filters to ensure they are within service life and appropriately installed.
Consider running the HVAC system at maximum outside airflow for 2 hours before and after the school is occupied.
Ensure restroom exhaust fans are functional and operating at full capacity when the school is occupied.
Inspect and maintain local exhaust ventilation in areas such as restrooms, kitchens, cooking areas, etc.
Use portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) fan/filtration systems to help enhance air cleaning (especially in higher risk areas such as the nurse’s office).
Generate clean-to-less-clean air movement by re-evaluating the positioning of supply and exhaust air diffusers and/or dampers (especially in higher risk areas such as the nurse’s office).
Consider using ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) as a supplement to help inactivate SARS-CoV-2, especially if options for increasing room ventilation are limited.
Ventilation considerations are also important on school buses

VIRAL LOAD, or “DOSE of VIRAL PARTICLESâ€

COVID
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

4. MEDICAL & SCIENTIFIC FACTS ABOUT COVID – 19 

ISOLATION: CDC

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-agenda-covid19.html

NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE

5. GENERAL FACTS ABOUT EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES & DISEASES OF CIVILIZATION