Dear family and friends,
In response to COVID-19, our family has decided to follow what we are calling a “Strict Social Distancing” policy. We expect our plan to last for at least 10 days (likely longer).
To be clear, we are not doing this out of fear or panic; it is simply our small contribution to help slow the spread of the virus. At this point, most of us know the term social distancing, but for those who want some additional insights, we found “Social Distancing: This is Not a Snow Day” very useful.
Our isolation is not to help protect us, although it will (if we are not already infected!), it is to ensure that we are not part of the chain connecting the infected to the vulnerable. We would be heartbroken if one of us passed the infection on to someone else who was vulnerable, OR even if we passed it on to a third party who then passed it on to a vulnerable party. Our objective is to help break the chain.
Unlike many in our family and community, we both work from home, so it is easy for us to follow a Strict Social Distancing plan. We recognize that not everyone can follow this type of plan. Many jobs require social interaction throughout the day, such as health professionals, probation officers, police, fire fighters, and sanitation workers.
Regardless, simulations, like the ones shown in the article “Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to ‘flatten the curve’” show that we CAN do something to reduce the problem. The more of us who can do social distancing, the flatter the curve, the lower the rate of sickness, and the faster we can gain control. Our family objective is to do everything we can to remain healthy and help make others in the community safer.
We know that many people believe that these types of actions are over-reactions. That may be true, but we don’t see a downside for our family, and we believe that even the possibility of a community-level upside is worth this small sacrifice. The faster we can get the virus under control (whatever that means) the faster stores can reopen (or regain business), the faster the vulnerable can un-quarantine (is that a word!), and the faster our kids can go back to school!
It will not be easy, especially for our kids, but we will take advantage of the time to get more work done, help the kids with schoolwork, clean out our basement, etc. And we will leverage tools like Mindful Junkie’s “Mindfulness Practices during COVID-19.”
As we have discussed our decision with some family and friends, we have had many questions. We have addressed them below in the form of an FAQ. We wish you all health and safety.
Best,
Gina and Jeff White
Rollo-White Family “COVID-19 Strict Social Distancing” FAQ
Q: What is your definition of “Strict Social Distancing?”
A: Our family definition is:
We will stay home as much as possible.
We will not go to any unnecessary public events or places. The only (in door) public place we will go to for sure is the grocery store. Family and friends in other communities may still need to go vote!
We will not visit friends or have friends visit us.
We will go outside, take the dogs for walks, bike ride, etc, but we will do it very mindfully and keep our distance from all other people (at least 6 ft).
Q: Why are you calling it “Strict” Social Distancing?
A: We felt like the term “Social Distancing” was a little vague and we wanted a family term that we could use that felt somewhere between quarantine (which felt scary and seemed like it couldn’t include walking the dog, going for a run, or going to the grocery store) and “Social Distancing” (which felt a bit soft, like maybe we could still go to restaurants or bars or let kids have play-dates).
Q: Since you are not in the “vulnerable population” why are you doing this?
A: Unlike many in our community and family, we have the ability to isolate ourselves since we both work from home. The isolation is not to help protect ourselves, although it will, it is to ensure that we are not part of the chain connecting the virus from the infected to the vulnerable population. We would be heartbroken if one of us got infected and passed the infection on to someone else who was vulnerable, OR if we passed it on to a third party who then passed it on to a vulnerable party. Our objective is to help break the chain.
Q: Couldn’t your actions be an over-reaction?
A: Definitely! And, in fact, we hope that we look back and this all feels like a huge over-reaction, which would mean 1) these actions weren’t necessary, or 2) it worked! It is not clear we will ever know for sure, unless we fail as a community to stop the spread of the virus.
Q: If we all followed a similar policy, won’t we hurt businesses?
A: Our belief is that the sooner we start this effort, the faster we can get things under control, and the sooner we can support businesses, especially small, local businesses, to get back on their feet.
Q: I doubt you even know anyone who is infected, why are you so worried?
A: It is our belief, based on what we have read, that those infected don’t necessarily show symptoms for days, and there are even reports that some can carry the virus without symptoms at all (no idea if this is really true).
Q: Many more people die of the flu each year, why are you so stressed out?
A: First, we are not really stressed out. We don’t think that taking this action is that big a deal. Our feeling is better safe than sorry. Regarding the comparison to the flu, the difference is “the unknown.” We have all heard that the Coronavirus is more contagious than the flu. We have all heard that the death rates are higher, especially for vulnerable populations. And we all know that we are still many months away from a vaccine for the Coronavirus. We have all heard conflicting reports from doctors and experts, some saying there is nothing to worry about and some saying that this could grow fast like it has in Italy. The bottom line is that we are not experts, but we are choosing to believe that there is risk, and we are taking strong precautions.
Q: How have you talked with your kids about this?
A: We have been very honest (just like above). Also, there are some great videos and podcasts for kids (and adults):
- Dr. Mike - Coronavirus Front Line
- But Why - Coronavirus For Kids, And The Science Of Soap
- Brains On - Understanding Coronavirus and how germs spread.
Q: What does Mindful Junkie have to say about all of this?
A: Check it out: Mindfulness Practices during Covid-19
