For many people, the pandemic has been easier to tolerate as the colder months came upon us. The idea of spending this colder part of the year primarily indoors was familiar to us, even if the absence of our distant family through the holidays was not. While this helped with social distancing outside of work and school hours, we still have to concern ourselves with the spread of COVID at our places of employment. With the warmer months ahead, we’re going to feel driven to spend more time outside. While the vaccine is being distributed, caution is still necessary, so we’re going to explore the mechanics of how this disease spreads indoors and out.
The Risks of COVID Spread Indoors and Out
With all this talk about social distancing, many have gotten the impression that the primary concern is physical contact. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Social distancing helps reduce the spread of COVID through aerosol behavior, such as through coughing, sneezing, even talking. There is a risk of contact spread, but our masks and the distance we keep are addressing these other venues as well. As a result, keeping airflow moving in your workspace and maintaining ventilation systems is important. The following are a few things suggested by the EPA to address ventilation concerns:
- Keep windows and doors with screens open in comfortable weather
- Fans and air conditioners should make use of external air
- Run fans in confined locations like bathrooms constantly
- Avoid confined indoor spaces
- Avoid situations where physical contact may occur
When you’re outdoors, it’s necessary to take the more well-known steps to avoid transmission of the disease. These steps are fairly well-known and include the following:
- Avoid spaces that are crowded, such as concerts or entertainment venues
- Wash your hands consistently several times a day, especially before eating
- Ensure that you keep your distance from those around you
- Wear your mask indoors and out
- Respect maximum occupancy in stores and other places of business
- Wash your mask frequently, and change it at least once a day
- Don’t discard your mask outside of a garbage bin; it presents a transmission risk
These steps will help you both indoors and out and can ensure that you and your family stay safe from the life-threatening illness that is the Coronavirus.
What We Know About The New Vaccine
We’re entering an exciting part of the pandemic as the vaccine gets introduced. For many of us, this represents a hope of returning to normalcy and a life free from masks… eventually. For now, we’re still finding out how effective this vaccine is and whether it is capable of protecting us from the mutated strains that have been discovered. Recent studies covering the newly produced vaccine are showing promising results, but caution is still necessary. It will be a while, but hopefully, soon, we can start taking steps to go back to something approaching normal. Until officially notified by the CDC, continue to social distance, wear masks, and otherwise take steps to protect you and your family from COVID.
