It’s difficult to know how we should act in the best of times. With different advice from different people at different times and in various states, it can be impossible to really know what the right advice to take it. No, we aren’t going to give you any definite advice about when to end your quarantine and start to go out again; that’s a personal choice you have to decide on your own. Everyone has a different life and different challenges.
Instead, let’s look at a few things we think we know and how you can protect yourself, your family, and your community. Just keep in mind that none of this is medical advice, and we aren’t doctors. We’re people trying to get through these strange times just like you.
Who Are You Around?
If you live with an elderly person, someone who has immune problems, or someone who has chronic health issues, you may want to be more careful than you usually might, even if you’re young and healthy.
One of the things that appears consistent since the pandemic started is that younger, healthier people, while not immune to coronavirus, can still get infected easily and pass it on. If you live with an older parent or grandparent, what you choose to do affects others more than it normally would.
So, even if you aren’t officially quarantined or under stay-at-home orders, you may want to stay at home as much as possible anyway to protect infecting the ones you love.
Where Are You Around?
Another thing that has seemed consistent is that it’s less likely you can catch coronavirus outside in the open air than in an enclosed space.
Again, these “facts” change with new science and new studies. But probably the safest spaces you can visit are outside spaces.
It’s smart to avoid closed spaces with lots of people. But if you maintain social distance and wear a mask, you should be good for a walk in the park, on the beach, or even just out in your neighborhood.
What Is Around?
We’re all tired of watching and reading news about coronavirus. It’s been constant for months, and we still aren’t finished yet. But you can and should check into local cases and let that guide you. If you’re living in a place that doesn’t seem to have increasing cases, let that inform your decisions. Different states have seen good times and bad times during the coronavirus. It will likely continue to change and shift.
Whether you decide to end your personal quarantine or stay bunkered down, stay safe, and stay well. Try to be patient with other people; one of the biggest dangers to us might not even be the virus for most people, but what the stress can do to you and your relationships.
