1/ Q: We are #vacationing with another family in a shared rental house. We wipe down our groceries. They don't. We wear masks whenever we're outside. They don't. How is this going to work?!?
A: We recommend a 4-step #SAFE plan:
S: SHARE
A: AGREE
F: FOLLOW
E: EVALUATE
2/ Share: In advance of the vacation (preferably before booking), SHARE with your fellow travelers: What are you most worried about? What is your #risk tolerance? What behaviors and rules are most important to you?
Open, transparent communication at this stage is a must.
3/ Agree: Once everyone's cards are on the table, AGREE on some explicit rules that the whole group will follow. Keep the list short, and be really clear and specific.
Rules might cover: quarantining and testing in advance of the vacation; traveling to the vacation site....
4/ masking practices; food shopping and handling; if/when other guests stop by; and activities while at the vacation site.
Rules should address important "non-negotiables" for each person, and should also take into account the #COVID19 stats at your origin AND destination.
5/ Follow: Once you’re there and having fun, everyone needs to FOLLOW the rules you agreed to! This may sound obvious, but shared commitment to the rules will go a long way towards minimizing stress and maximizing relaxation (this includes the kids!)
6/ Evaluate: This is the secret weapon! Build in a couple of check-in points up front — like, on the morning of Day 2 and the evening of Day 4 — where everyone revisits the rules to EVALUATE how they are going. Is adherence spotty? Any confusion? Renegotiate and update as needed.
7/ As we Nerdy Girls think about how to expand our own bubbles and quaranteams, we were inspired by Melissa Hawkins’s article in @NewsHour: pbs.org/newshour/healt…
Dr. Hawkins is a professor of public health at @AmericanU (and also an epidemiologist and mom of 4!).
8/ Dr. Hawkins reminds us that #harmreduction — not the complete elimination of all risk — is the name of the game here.
She also notes that #MentalHealthMatters, and bubbling or podding up in quaranteams can actually limit #COVID transmission.
9/ Her tips for making your quaranteam work out mirror our SAFE Plan: Establish where everyone’s risk tolerance is, agree on rules based on those tolerances, and then be accountable and transparent about following the rules. Communicate communicate communicate!
We hope everyone has a truly relaxing summer vacation — we all need it.
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