How do you take precautions re: COVID?

[phillychuck]

I'm interested in board responses to this (I might have missed them in another thread). Boston Ross brought up a WaPo article about health experts in terms of opening mail and packages. What do we (who post here) do about the following:

1. Opening mail
2. Opening packages
3. Distancing from relatives who you trust but don't live with you
4. Convening outdoors at picnics or restaurants
5. Eating indoors at properly distanced tables in restaurants
6. Driving with friends or relatives who you trust to be cautious
7. Flying
8. Working in a properly-spaced office
9. Associating with a relative who works in retail or another risky profession
10. Grocery shopping
11. Going to the dentist or hairdresser/barber

Feel free to add other categories of possibly modified behavior...

[allentown]

l. Generally it sits a couple days. Have opened some almost immediately. Always was hands after.
2. If it's something that can sit, same as above. If must open immediately, same as above exception.. For newspaper, I just bring it in later in day and let sun disinfect it (it's it plastic wrapper and gets hot). Still wash hands after disposing wrapper
3. We meet outdoors and keep 6-8 feet apart.
4. Haven't done it
5. Haven't and won't do it
6. Haven't done it.
7. ■■■■ no!
8. Retired
9. Will face this question with sister and niece who teach youngish kids. Probably just follow 3.
10. We use curbside pickup and delivery. Fruits and vegetables had always been washed before use -- pesticides, bacterial infection
11. My dentist appointment is mid-August
12. The discussion/meeting groups we had participated in have shifted to Zoom. We audited a college course (in-person) each semester for past 4 years, dropped out
a week before the college cancelled in-person last semester, won't enroll Fall semester.
13. When walking in neighborhood, I don't mask, but avoid other people. I do mask if we go anywhere else, or if meeting with anyone outdoors, even with 6-feet separation.

We are fortunate to have a backyard garden to spend time in, so haven't been isolated indoors at all since state issued guidelines.

Probably wouldn't be this cautious if my wife didn't have several risk factors. Also, we are both early 70s.

[BostonRoss]

1. I haven't done anything different although we don't get much mail.
2. I haven't done anything differently. My wife seems to like Amazon.
3. We have had our (local) son over a few times, and my father-in-law. We often sit outside if the weather is cooperating.
4. We have eaten outside with friends. I haven't gone to an outdoor restaurant but would do so.
5. I would not eat at an indoor restaurant right now. Not important enough to take the higher risk.
6. It hasn't come up, but I might do it occasionally. My wife has done it a few times.
7. I would not fly unless it was an emergency.
8. I won't get the opportunity to go back to work for a long time (I will be working at home for the foreseeable future).
9. I don't have such a relative who lives nearby, but if my son was in a risky profession,I wouldn't completely avoid him.
10. I grocery shop every couple of weeks or so. I wear a mask (no choice, but I would anyway).
11. I went to the dentist last week as well as the eye doctor (I need new glasses). I have not been to the barber. I don't have much hair anyway, and my wife has cut my hair twice since March, and I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. On the other hand, she will have to visit a hairdresser soon; nothing good could come out of my trying to cut her hair!

[zambonir]

Seems to me the big issue here is still not individual risk, but collective risk, and asymptomatic transmission. No one interaction or errand or appointment is likely to give any of us, or the people we interact with, the virus. But the more stuff you do the higher the risk, and the more people that do more stuff, the higher the spread. I am not actually worried about getting the virus from my mail, but the odds that my mailman might have the virus are a lot higher than they were a month ago (our cases in Oregon are up 400% in the past four weeks, with increased testing only accounting for 1/4th of that. And half of cases are community spread, not identified outbreaks).

I need to go to the dentist and am unsure if waiting a month would be better or worse.

[BostonRoss]

Well, sure, but the decisions are individual. The overall risk is the collective result of the individual decisions.

I decided to go to the dentist because I didn’t see it becoming less risky soon, and it might get a lot worse quickly (they could even be forced to close again).

[Lucky_Beagle]

answered below

[ post:1, topic:51965"]
Opening mail---no change, I seldom touch it my wife opens almost all of it
Opening packages--same as above
Distancing from relatives who you trust but don't live with you--not since June
Convening outdoors at picnics or restaurants--yes since June
Eating indoors at properly distanced tables in restaurants--been 2 x's
Driving with friends or relatives who you trust to be cautious--regularly
Flying -haven't and don't plan to go anywhere
Working in a properly-spaced office--would do
Associating with a relative who works in retail or another risky profession --yes, daughter takes COVID test for the public
Grocery shopping-went for the first time yesterday, wife regularly goes
Going to the dentist or hairdresser/barber-schedule dentist apt today for Dec, first they claim to have an opening--cut my own hair!
[/quote]

[zambonir]

Yup, that's kind of my thought but we only opened two weeks ago (though they'd opened before that) and they book out very far ahead (hopefully not as far as LB's but I suppose I really shoudl return that call!) I imagine even re-closing won't necessarily extend to medical stuff unless it gets really bad.

[phillychuck]

Answering my own questions:

Opening mail -- no change

Opening packages -- no change

Distancing from relatives who you trust but don't live with you -- this is hard for me, I see my 5 grandchildren every week and used to interact very closely with them, sitting next to them while we read things, etc. We now see each other, but mostly outside and mostly distanced. I'm tutoring my middle granddaughter in organic chem right now, and doing that while distanced is, at best, a challenge.

Convening outdoors at picnics or restaurants -- family picnics-->yes; restaurants not yet, although we ate outside on a very spacious restaurant patio with our cousins tonight.

Eating indoors at properly distanced tables in restaurants -- not yet

Driving with friends or relatives who you trust to be cautious -- in a very limited way; we take separate cars whenever possible

Flying -- not yet; maybe not for a long time. Airline companies must be close to failing.

Working in a properly-spaced office -- this is a big question for me; I'm expected to go back to high-school teaching in September in person. I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

Associating with a relative who works in retail or another risky profession -- two of my granddaughters work in retail (Starbucks; grocery). There is no way I don't see them.

Grocery shopping -- much less frequently, in senior hours when possible.

Going to the dentist or hairdresser/barber -- my wife is cutting my hair--good results so far. She is desperate to see a hairdresser, but very risk averse, so a crisis is coming.

[schillingfan]

I discussed this somewhat in the other thread. I’m handicapped by living with my daughter who has to go to work at the courthouse and be exposed to strangers. There are pretty good precautions, but it’s hard to talk about your client’s case from six feet apart.

We are only a rage still about five cases a day here. Luzerne County was restricted along with the Philly suburbs and Allentown area, so we’re barely into restaurants and bars at 25% capacity. We seem to be retry steady as people are bring good about wearing masks. One of the lawyers she works with just got back from Florida and the county made he quarantine for 14 days.

Just today she finally got her hair done. Both wearing masks, clients one at a time. She probably wouldn’t have done it but for our cases bring so small and who knows what it will be like in a month. She only goes to outdoor bars and restaurants and went to an outdoor 4th of July BBQ bringing her own food. At the end of the month she is going to a A beach house in Delaware with friends, who all are professionals and cautious, too. They plan to eat in, avoid bars and stay socially distanced at the beach. If everyone so young behaved that way, we could all do so much better.

[Lawman]

My answers in BOLD.

Opening mail - AS USUAL.
Opening packages - AS USUAL.
Distancing from relatives who you trust but don't live with you - AT THIS POINT, I FOLLOW THEIR LEAD. IF THEY ARE MORE CAUTIOUS, I RESPECT IT. IF NOT, THEN REGULAR.
Convening outdoors at picnics or restaurants - I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH EITHER, BUT HAVE NOT HAD OPPORTUNITY TO DO EITHER.
Eating indoors at properly distanced tables in restaurants - NO PROBLEM
Driving with friends or relatives who you trust to be cautious - NO PROBLEM
Flying - PROBABLY NO PROBLEM BUT HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT
Working in a properly-spaced office - NO PROBLEM
Associating with a relative who works in retail or another risky profession - NO PROBLEM
Grocery shopping - NO PROBLEM
Going to the dentist or hairdresser/barber - NO PROBLEM, HAVE ALREADY HAD A DENTIST APPOINTMENT

[DurhamBull]

Opening mail - open/recycle immediately; wash hands, whatever isn't junk sits on a chair in the spare room for a few days before I mess with it further. I don't get much urgent mail.
Opening packages - ditto
Distancing from relatives who you trust but don't live with you - I have very vulnerable relatives who need intimate care so they are sort of a second social bubble for me. After caring for them, I return home and mostly self-quarantine for a couple weeks.
Convening outdoors at picnics or restaurants - no
Eating indoors at properly distanced tables in restaurants - no no no
Driving with friends or relatives who you trust to be cautious - no
Flying - no
Working in a properly-spaced office - I work from home, fortunately
Associating with a relative who works in retail or another risky profession - haven't had to do this
Grocery shopping - limited to twice a week (store + farmer's market), mask on all the time. When self-quarantining I eschew these trips. (Currently in self-quarantine as I just returned from family care duties; going for curbside grocery pickup tomorrow)
Going to the dentist or hairdresser/barber - I'm enjoying having an excuse to let my hair grow long again

Ordering takeaway from restaurants -- not keen on anything that hasn't been cooked

I have had occasional socially distanced hangouts with friends outdoors. As this turns into more of a marathon and less of a sprint I need to figure out more/better ways to maintain my social contacts.

[julio]

1. Opening mail: As mentioned elsewhere, we quarantine for one day. Move the mail from the box on the front porch to our quarantine point on our covered back porch, away from street.

2. Opening packages: Same as with other mail.

3. Distancing from relatives who you trust but don't live with you: One son who has his own house comes by approx. weekly to do laundry, have dinner. That's all.

4. Convening outdoors at picnics or restaurants: We have attended one "outdoor opening" of an art show - about 20 people total, distancing, masked. Equivalent of a picnic. Would do again, if specific circumstances were encouraging.

5. Eating indoors at properly distanced tables in restaurants: Has not happened, will not happen any time soon. We used to go out about once/week - but we both cook (seriously), so we may be ahead on this one!

6. Driving with friends or relatives who you trust to be cautious: Has not come up. Don't know why it would. Probably would not want to do this.

7. Flying: I was trying to minimize this prior to CV-19, because of airliners' profligate emission of CO₂. Limited flying to overseas trips - and that's not going to happen any time soon, given the US' pariah status with the EU.

8. Working in a properly-spaced office: Not applicable. I'm retired - and given that if not retired, I'd be in some senior management position at New Jersey OMB, trying to figure out how to deal with a multi-billion dollar revenue shortfall, I'm damned glad I'm retired! My wife has on occasion gone to work in her studio - but there are only a couple of other artists who have access to the space, and her work area is hers alone. Little or no close contact with anybody.

9. Associating with a relative who works in retail or another risky profession: My son, who comes by weekly (most weeks) is a manager with local Amazon Logistics facility. Fortunately not retail, but he interacts with the workforce he manages. Probably our single greatest risk factor.

10. Grocery shopping: I generally do this - about once every three weeks. We also have a bi-weekly CSA produce pickup, which is outdoors, and distanced/masked.

11. Going to the dentist or hairdresser/barber: I kicked my dental cleaning back two months (June to August); unless things deteriorate greatly, I'll keep the August appointment. I also have a routine Dr. app't. in August, which I expect I'll also keep. I'm skipping the Hair Cuttery completely; I've got little enough hair at this point that I can keep temples and nape of neck trimmed myself. There's nothing on top... My wife? She hasn't allowed anybody other than herself to trim her hair in...literally decades. So no issue there!

[Austinfan]

Opening mail - business as usual
Opening packages - business as usual
There are few if any recorded cases of transmission by touch outside a hospital environment, it's not that contagious, that is, you need a viral load, not just a single virus, and paper is absorbent, anything on the surface will sink into the paper/cardboard, so it has to be a sizeable droplet(s) then you have to touch it while it's still contagious, then touch your mouth/nose/eyes. Long odds.

Distancing from relatives who you trust but don't live with you - yes

Convening outdoors at picnics or restaurants - outdoors with distancing and masks

Eating indoors at properly distanced tables in restaurants - no, only exception would be facility with high ceilings, good ventilation, proper distancing and everyone wearing masks, good luck finding that place.

Driving with friends or relatives who you trust to be cautious - still keep my distance, only with a mask and for only a few minutes

Flying - no way until they throw the guy who takes his mask off out the door at 30,000 feet!

Working in a properly-spaced office - No

Associating with a relative who works in retail or another risky profession - with distance and mask

Grocery shopping - yes, I reserve my N95 (old paint mask past expiration date for health workers) for Giant, Costco, etc. If it's a quick in and out, use my cloth mask, but if I'm spending an hour indoors, only the best.

Going to the dentist or hairdresser/barber - maybe, if they take proper precautions.

[xogfog]

Opening mail - normal
Opening packages - normal
Distancing from relatives who you trust but don't live with you - normal (my mother and brother are essentially housebound, so no risk)
Convening outdoors at picnics or restaurants - nope
Eating indoors at properly distanced tables in restaurants - nope
Driving with friends or relatives who you trust to be cautious - with masks
Flying - nope
Working in a properly-spaced office - work from home
Associating with a relative who works in retail or another risky profession - n/a
Grocery shopping - infrequent based on need, but with mask and try best to distance (I usually go at 6:00am when there are only a few people shopping).
Going to the dentist or hairdresser/barber - haven't had to yet

Bottom line, I wash my hands after I touch anything outside my place, don't touch my face, where a mask anywhere I interact with other people, excluding family, which I know are not sick.

[fish]

My big thing is the gym. I'm motivated by it's structure in a way that I can't make myself do at home, and man I have I eaten a lot of crap the last 4 months working from home. I need to go back for my health (they are about to open up here in MA), but it also seems like the it's got to be one of the highest risks out there. My gym doesn't have a requirement to wear a mask on the treadmill, but I won't go back until I find a face mask that I can wear while doing cardio that won't make me feel like i'm going to pass out while huffing/puffing/sweating profusely.

[phillychuck]

Masks with filters (like N95 masks) allow better breathing (in my limited experience). Try to get an old, no-longer-useable-for-healthcare N95 or similar. There are also thinner, summer-type masks that allow me personally to breathe better, but I'm not sure they are quite as secure in filtering droplets.

[LegoDoom]

In the early stages of CV19, my answers were very similar to most here. Let mail/packages sit for a few days, then open, then wash my hands. The rest of the answers would have been no.

As more studies have shown that the virus isn't easily transmitted via surfaces and that masks are effective in reducing transmission, I am now of the belief that we can do most things when wearing a quality mask.

That led me to keep the vacation that I booked in January. I just got back from a trip to Vegas. Masked up except when eating. Partially removed it when drinking, but immediately put it back on.

1. Opening mail: Open, discard the envelope, and then wash hands.

2. Opening packages: Open, discard the package, and then wash hands.

3. Distancing from relatives who you trust but don't live with you: I have distanced from relatives. My one exception was for father's day where we ate outside.

4. Convening outdoors at picnics or restaurants: Outdoors with distancing should be fine. Wearing a mask until you get settled into one spot.

5. Eating indoors at properly distanced tables in restaurants: We tried to eat outside as much as possible, my first indoor dining experience was on vacation. This is generally a no for me, but all restaurants were widely spread out with high ceilings.

6. Driving with friends or relatives who you trust to be cautious: No, but this could be doable with quality masks.

7. Flying: This was a hard no for me until I read about air filtration in planes and the effectiveness of N95 masks. So we decided to keep the plane reservation and keep our masks on the whole time. Took a bit more precaution and booked a row with only 2 seats and more legroom in order to space out bit. The flight was packed on the way out, but empty on the way home. I felt pretty safe even in a packed plane.

8. Working in a properly-spaced office: Not applicable.

9. Associating with a relative who works in retail or another risky profession: No

10. Grocery shopping: I used delivery for the first few months, but not mask up and go once or twice a week.

11. Going to the dentist or hairdresser/barber: No. I've been cutting my own hair and it has looked decent. I may keep doing it.

IMO, N95 masks are not easier to breathe in. While they might be thinner than a cloth mask, they have less air flow. I imagine both masks would be uncomfortable to wear while exercising. There are sport masks made to be used when exercising. Most I've seen have valves, so it seems like the most comfortable masks for exercise aren't ideal because of the valve and all better filtered masks would be rough to run in.

[Lawman]

I hear you. My gym(s) still not opened. I can't run/jog outside - for one I don't enjoy it and the stress of running on my knees and feet makes it hard to do. I do, however, swear y the elliptical. So, I bought one for the house. NordicTrack. I'm loving it, up to around 4 miles/day, takes me around 35 minutes. I do need the gym for heavy weights, but I can wait for that. I was looking into buying a set, but they are quite expensive and, honestly, I don't really have the space.

[Philsmania]

1. Opening mail--Pretty much back to prior behavior
2. Opening packages--pretty much back to prior behavior
3. Distancing from relatives who you trust but don't live with you--I haven't seen any of my family (parents, sibling) since the pandemic started but my wife's family had a backyard cookout. I would do it in a responsible manner
4. Convening outdoors at picnics or restaurants--I am ok eating outdoors as long as the tables are sufficiently distant
5. Eating indoors at properly distanced tables in restaurants--I'll need to see how it's done first, though I am reluctant
6. Driving with friends or relatives who you trust to be cautious--Reluctant to do so but so are most others whom I know.
7. Flying--I'll wait until there is a vaccine
8. Working in a properly-spaced office--Been doing so since June 15. I am self-employed and I have never been terribly productive working at home.
9. Associating with a relative who works in retail or another risky profession--Doesn't really apply to me, so I have not given it any thought.
10. Grocery shopping--I ALWAYS WEAR A MASK AT ALL TIMES IN THE STORE but otherwise, I have reverted to my pre-pandemic behavior, going to the store whenever I need something instead of saving the need up for ten or so days. In addition I haven't done home deliver or curbside pickup in some time, either. I tried it a few times but wasn't always happy with it. Most of what I am hearing says that grocery shopping responsibly is not a threat. Having said that, I have noticed that different stores handle things differently. I go to different grocery stores, depending upon what product I am seeking. Trader Joe's still strictly follows the "one out, one in" rule and shoppers typically have to wait in line to get in. The last few times I've gone to Acme and a recent visit to ShopRite, on the other hand, I walked right up to the door and into the store (although it should be noted that I typically go later in the evening--after 6:00 p.m. when it is generally less busy to begin with).
11. Going to the dentist or hairdresser/barber--This is one area where you need to know and trust who you are going to. I got my haircut the day they were allowed to open in Philadelphia and I have a dentist appointment the week after next. The hairstylists spread things out and the dentist alerted my wife and to protocols he employs.