Social Distancing, Self-Quarantine and Elbow Bumps

The COVID-19 Pandemic

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a medical expert nor am I a scientist. The information contained in this blog post comes from multiple sources including, but not limited to, listening to and reading comments from experts in the field of medicine - including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Mayo Clinic website, Hartford HealthCare website and others.

UPDATE: Within 30 minutes of my publishing this article, the Governor of New Jersey announced that he is close all State Parks & Forests along with all County Parks. This is due to groups of people congregating at the parks and not acting responsibly. Why can't people be responsible without being forced to be?

Social Distancing

It's hard to avoid it - social distancing comes up everywhere you turn these days. I don't mean to brag but I have been doing this for years; the difference is that people called it being anti-social. I think that is one reason I am drawn to nature and landscape photography so much. 😄

All joking aside, the world around us is a pretty scary place. We have all been thru some serious crises in our lives but they have been mostly geopolitical or ideological. While war, terrorism and other acts of aggression are horrifying, what makes pandemics such as this so terrifying is that the "enemy" is invisible, it is spreading rapidly and we know very little about it. We can't intercept messages or monitor the movements of known operatives, we can only try to be pro-active and keep trying treatments until something sticks.

Social distancing is our best weapon so far. We do know that the virus is transmitted from human-to-human thru bodily fluids - specifically droplets from sneezes and coughs - and to my knowledge it isn't something you can catch from your pets. The virus must enter the body thru an opening - eyes, nose, mouth, cuts, etc... - and will not pass thru or be absorbed by your skin. The importance of washing your hands and avoiding contact with your face cannot be overemphasized. If you practice social distancing, wash your hands regularly and don't touch your face, you greatly reduce your risk of infection.

Self-Quarantine

If you have been exposed to the virus, or believe you may have been, the best thing to do is "self-quarantine" or "self-isolate" for fourteen (14) days. There are an increasing number of states who are requiring self-quarantine for anyone entering their state from certain "hotspots" around the country - New York being one of the hotspots. By isolating yourself you greatly reduce the risk of spreading the virus. There is a difference between "social distancing" and "self-quarantine" - primarily self-quarantine means stay away from everyone. Period. Don't stay six (6) feet, stay in a separate part of the house, no contact whatsoever. Do not leave your house to enjoy a walk in the park.

It's not fun to totally cut yourself off - I know some who have had to, entire families living in self-quarantine, I know someone who had to live for two weeks alone in a bedroom, no contact with family in the house, only allowed to leave to go to the bathroom and bathe in a separate bathroom. Some of you may think that is rather drastic but with a mortality rate estimated to be between 1% and 3.4% - is "drastic" really possible?

Elbow Bumps

Elbow bumps have been suggested as a substitute for handshakes. It was a reasonable and effective suggestion - I mean, have you ever rubbed your eyes with your elbow? I think we have come to a point now where elbow bumps should be avoided, too. I don't think even Shaquille O'Neal is big enough to stand six feet away and still elbow bump. I think a polite wave and the "sup?" head bob should suffice as greetings for the time being.

Keeping Sane

While I know very little about "sanity" I can offer some suggestions for helping ease the pain during this time. Here are just a few things that you may want to consider, in no particular order:

• Read all of the posts I have written for this blog, beginning with Welcome! 😇
• Read off of the posts on my photography blog, beginning with, you guessed it, Welcome! 😇
• Binge watch The Twilight Zone on Netflix. It's amazing how little things have changed over the past sixty years.
• Work on the puzzle that has been collecting dust in your closet.
• Read a book.
• Discover the wonders of nature in your own backyard.
• Take up a new hobby or work on getting better at something you already do.
• Start a blog and write about your experiences during the pandemic
• ????

These are just a few of the things you can do to pass your time. The first two might(?) be a little self-serving but there are worse ways to spend your time.

You can go to a park - if they are open - but please don't go if it is crowded! Just because you are outside, it doesn't mean you can gather in groups - social distancing is still the only effective way to stay safe. Stay away from others on the trails, boardwalks, beaches, etc.... There have been a number of towns along the Jersey Shore that have had to close the boardwalks and beaches because of crowds. This isn't a forced vacation - this is serious.

In Closing

As I mentioned in the disclaimer at the top of this post, I am not a medical professional nor am I a scientist. I didn't intend for this to be a lecture and I hope it didn't come across as such. I am just a concerned citizen speaking out and hoping to make a difference. There are far too many stories about blatant disregard for the guidelines and government directives. There are stories of large gathers for weddings and funerals; there are even some having parties! Contrary to what you may have heard or read - this is not a hoax, it is not some sinister political plot and it is not a media-created frenzy. This is a serious, world-wide, threat and should be treated as such.

Stay home unless you absolutely have to go out. I have left my property to go to the drive-thru at my bank, drop off and pick up my wife at work one day, once to hike at 7:00 in the morning at a nearby park where there was one other car in the lot and once to shoot a sunset in a local park. The sunset was the only time I was within 10 feet of a person I don't live with and we never got closer than that. It has been difficult to stay home - there are many days when I want to get out to hike on a nice day or shoot a sunset somewhere but I resist. I have gone into my yard, camera in hand, and shot some flowers to help pass the time. I am working on my writing, editing older images and catching up on email. There is an incredible full moon tonight - rising in a spot that I have been waiting for it to rise for a long time but I will have to wait until it comes around again. The location is a very popular one and I know, despite warnings, it will be crowded.

Thanks for stopping by! Stay safe! Stay healthy and we will get thru this!

References

• Mayo Clinic
• Hartford HealthCare