I have told my child he is going into 14 days of quarantine when he gets home from college just to be sure. There will be no hugs, high fives, etc., and this will be a hardship, but one we have to enforce to keep us all safe.
“But dad, I’m unlikely to get sick and no young people are getting really badly sick, so what’s the big deal?” “Why do I have to set aside my plans and fun with my friends?”
These are difficult times for us all as we face the threat of a worldwide pandemic with COVID-19. While the area you live in seems perfectly healthy and it seems like much is being made about nothing, it is precisely that situation that is perfect to prevent the spread of the virus.
Scientists and doctors have studied the spread of the disease and we know that people can be carrying the virus for up to 14 days before they become obviously sick (this is called the incubation period). The virus is spread from person to person by droplets that are sneezed or coughed.
In an ideal world, if every person was separated from every other person for a period of 14 days then all of the incubating cases would emerge without infecting any new people. The sick people could continue their quarantine until they are better and no longer infectious, and this pandemic could be brought under control.
Here is the concern for college students. Your healthy looking friends may be infected and incubating. In the data from Italy, the age group 20-30 has a high rate of infection and few symptoms. You are more social at this time of life than any other age group. You visit and socialize with your friends in all types of locations. They infect you, you bring it home, infecting your sister, parents and grandparents. All of these older folks have a significant risk of dying from the infection if they get it. In fact, the risk of death from this goes up with age and if they have chronic health conditions like asthma, COPD, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, or immune issues then their risk is even higher.
When the risk is lowest, it is difficult to make the decision to limit personal interaction and touch. These things give us great joy and happiness, but we need to think of the long term and the benefit of two weeks isolation versus months and months of ongoing illness and deaths in our communities.
What will I do? I will do my best to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. I won’t go out in public unless it is necessary. I will shop only when we need to and will buy a week’s worth if I can to limit the number of shopping trips we need during this period. I will disinfect my shopping cart. I will stay six feet away from the nearest person. I will wash my hands regularly. I will try not to touch my face, and maybe wear gloves when shopping just as a reminder.
What should we all do? Follow the guidelines.
If you are sick don’t go out. Get someone else to shop for you and deliver supplies.
If you are sick and have to go out, wear a mask. This prevents your droplets from getting out and infecting others.
Don’t have parties or group outings until this is behind us.
Work and study remotely, if at all possible.
Stay at home if you can. Teach your pet new tricks. Get the garden ready for summer. Read those books you keep putting off.
Our leaders in health and safety policy have been making some tough choices in order to limit the spread of this pandemic. We need to heed their advice and act responsibly as individuals to protect our loved ones.
This involves some personal sacrifice, but in the end we can make a major difference in the outcomes if we all do the right thing.
Thomas Frey of Hampden is a respiratory physician.