[ad_1]
Strict quarantine is a better approach than just getting a Covid-19 test, as questions remain about the effectiveness of some often used tests, experts say.
Benjamin says the PCR test, which can tell you if you are currently sick, is the most reliable, plus of the newer quick response tests, which can give false negatives or positives. However, “the test is as good as it was the day you took it,” he warns. Wolfe agrees, saying, “You can’t do the tests yourself and expect me to get you out of a problem.”
The public health experts we spoke to say the tests are not a paper to get out of jail for vacation travel. Instead, it should be seen as a complement to quarantine, physical distancing, mask use, and symptom monitoring. Benjamin adds that some allergy and Covid-19 symptoms may seem similar. If you wake up in the morning of your planned trip you don’t feel well, he says, think back to the trip.
As for the trip itself, the guide is your best bet. Also in this case, says Benjamin, the risk is not negligible, especially if you make a pit stop. Burns-Wright plans a one-way car rental to Philadelphia with minimal stops along the way.
Flying isn’t a ban, experts say, but people should be cautious and aware of the risks.
A recent study by the Department of Defense and United Airlines states that the risk of transmission when everyone in the plane wears a mask is low, but the study hypothesized optimal airflow in the cabin and that everyone actually wore the mask for the duration of the flight. In the real world, the CDC warned in September that around 10,900 people were potentially exposed to the coronavirus on flights between January and August, CNN reported.
Watson points out that there are many different exhibition opportunities at an airport, from security to sitting on the tarmac. Masks are encouraged, experts say, and Wolfe even encourages people to bring extra masks if their ear rings break during the trip.
As with other forms of transportation, Watson warns that public transportation can also have risks, including buses, which often have less stringent safety and cleanliness rules than airlines, and certainly have less ventilation.
When you arrive at your destination, public health experts recommend creating a bubble with the people you are with, quarantining them together.
“Think of the NBA bubble and try to avoid being the NFL,” says Sehgal. For Burns-Wright, this means seeing only his mother, who lives alone, during his visit and occasionally his mother’s neighbor, but only outdoors, like their porches. They’re not going to invite anyone else over for Thanksgiving.
But all experts warn that even small group meetings still pose a risk. CDC Director Robert Redfield warned during a phone call with governors earlier this month that small group meetings were causing infections.
“We are seeing a lot of broadcasts between families and friends in small groups,” Seghal says. He adds that the social interactions people enjoy during the holidays put people at particular risk, from cooking together in close proximity to multigenerational gatherings. “All of these things put us at greater risk of transmitting infectious diseases by air,” he says.
This is why public health experts say hosting an outdoor meeting is safer than indoor meetings. Seghal even says he encouraged friends to get outdoor stoves. And while experts say there is little evidence that sharing food or touching shared surfaces can spread the virus, it’s important to be cautious and practice basic hygiene, such as hand washing. It is much less the sharing of food that is a concern, but the behavior of doing so, says Seghal, pointing out that filling each other’s glasses or stretching out on a table for food draws close to each other, which should be avoided. .
.
[ad_2]
Source link
