According to medical experts, the recent report from the CDC may greatly increase the number of “close contacts” that a person encounters on a daily basis, but it also highlights the importance of PPE in preventing the spread of the disease. In a joint report compiled with health officials in Vermont, the CDC found that a 20-year-old prison employee contracted the virus after having 22 short interactions with infected individuals totaling 17 minutes over an eight-hour shift. Each of the interactions lasted between 10 and 60 seconds, and while the officer wore both a cloth mask and protective goggles in every instance, there were some interactions where the infected individuals were not. So, what does this prove? “There is no safe period of time to be with somebody who’s not part of your bubble if both of you are not wearing masks,” according to Ashish Jha, MD, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. “It’s really critical that people wear masks if you’re going to be with somebody for any period of time, even if it’s less than 15 minutes,” he told CNN. If you absolutely must spend time with people you don’t live with, read on for more about how the CDC recommends you can do it safely. And if you’re worried you could be sick, know that If You Can’t Taste These 2 Things, You May Have COVID.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb One of the greatest risks you can pose to your friends and family is visiting them while you are asymptomatic but contagious with the coronavirus. If you’re planning on meeting with people or attending a small event, make sure you get tested and receive a negative result before going. The CDC recommends packing a few extra face masks and hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol to make sure everyone in your group is covered—literally, in this case. And for more on the importance of PPE, check out The CDC Now Says You Should Wear Your Mask in These 7 Places. Indoor spaces with poor ventilation have been proven time and time again to be one of the most high-risk environments for spreading the virus. If at all possible, move your event to an outdoor space—or at the very least, try to increase ventilation by opening windows to introduce fresh air. Even though the stress of the pandemic may have you wanting to be as close as possible to your friends or loved ones, you may be putting them or yourself at risk by failing to socially distance. Make sure to sit six feet apart—even diagonally from each other, if possible—to lower your risk of contamination. And for more regular updates on COVID, sign up for our daily newsletter. Top medical experts all agree: wearing your mask is the very best way to protect your loved ones from being accidentally infected. Even if you’re going out to a restaurant and must remove your mask to eat, experts suggest putting it back on in between courses or whenever your server approaches the table. And for more on where certain areas are with the virus, check out These 5 States Are Showing the First Signs of Another Lockdown.
