BY SANDRA GUY
Innocent family gatherings have proven to be a major source of the coronavirus spread in Chicago and in Illinois, and experts warn that ignoring precautions anywhere can have heartbreaking consequences.
“We continue to hear about birthday parties and funerals,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the city’s Department of Public Health, at a news conference. “Recognize when you are out and not being careful, even among your trusted friends and family, you do run the risk of bringing COVID back into your home and into your friends’ group.”
A Google search reveals similar incidents nationwide, including a young man who thought COVID-19 was a hoax, invited 10 family members to a mask-less get-together, and now talks openly about living with the guilt of his beloved father-in-law and his father-in-law’s mother dying of coronavirus as a result.
“How many people would have gotten sick if I’d never hosted that weekend? One? Maybe two? The grief comes in waves, but that guilt just sits,” he told The Washington Post in the Oct. 10 story titled, “What are We So Afraid Of?”
The second coronavirus surge has prompted new stay-at-home lockdowns as experts expect 35,000 more U.S. deaths in the three weeks starting Nov. 16, on top of 246,948 deaths nationwide as of Nov. 15.
That means, once again, staying away from people outside of your home, as well as gyms, salons, bars, concerts, restaurants or any activity with crowds or people in close proximity in enclosed spaces.
Experts say it’s vital to exercise — preferably both in the morning and in the evening (Google any type of exercise and start moving with the video, ride an in-home stationary bike or walk on a treadmill inside your home) — and to maintain a regimen of eating a healthy diet to boost your immune system.
If college students are returning home from in-person classes, the optimal situation is that they quarantine for two weeks at home. That’s especially true if the student is flying or taking public transportation to get home.
That means wearing a mask inside the home, using a separate bathroom and avoiding close contact with family members — especially those with high-risk health issues — until the quarantine period is over. Some families have been quoted in news stories saying that, if a college-age child tests positive, they’re prepared to have that child stay in a camper in the driveway or use hotel points to let him or her stay at a local hotel.
A COVID-19 swab test as soon as possible after the student arrives home or immediately after the quarantine period is also a good idea to ascertain the risk of close contact.
And the best advice never gets old: Wash your hands frequently, and long enough to sing “happy birthday” twice; wear a mask outside of the home; and practice social distancing with everyone outside of one’s immediate household, even if that means passing up an elevator ride or any situation involving a small enclosed space with another person.