Thread by @DearPandemic

1/ Q: With cases rising again around the US, is the concept of a “pod” or “bubble” of connected households still reasonable?

A: Yes, but…it’s a good time to make sure your bubble hasn’t gotten so big it is about to burst, & check for any holes you need to patch!

2/ In fact, if you never bubbled in the first place, this may be the perfect time to scale back your interactions into a smaller, consistent group of individuals to help curb community spread of infection.

3/ What is the purpose of a bubble?

The purpose of forming a social bubble is to expand the circle of people we are in close contact with in a limited way that still gives us protection from COVID-19 that may be circulating in the community.

4/ The added bonus of social bubbles is that the more people keep their social circles small, consistent & cut-off from the broader community over time, the harder it is for COVID-19 to spread in general.

5/ What do we mean by a bubble?

Authors of a @Forbes article define a bubble as, "family members or close friends who have assumed a collective risk by ‘sheltering in place’ together or restrict close personal contact with anyone outside their selective group.”

6/ In practice, this means “…planning ways to reduce every member’s exposure, setting agreed-upon expectations for safe behaviors, and being up-front about tracking contacts and managing risks.”
forbes.com/sites/coronavi…

7/ What to consider when forming a bubble:

1️⃣ What are the ground rules?
Who exactly is in the bubble? What type of social interactions, if any, are allowed outside the bubble? Do bubble members work outside the home? Grocery shop? Visit hair salons?

8/ Ideally, interactions outside the bubble are kept to a minimum and #StaySMART principles are applied during those interactions, otherwise the bubble is really too big and too leaky to provide much protection!

9/
2️⃣ Are the lines of communication open?
Is everybody on the same page about what the expectations are & have a plan for tracking any outside contacts that do occur? Is there a system in place for reporting back to members of the bubble when breaches occur?

10/ Having such protocols in place are essential to prevent spread of COVID-19 within your bubble as well as out of your bubble, should an outside exposure occur.

11/
3️⃣ Are any members of the bubble particularly at risk for complications of COVID-19?
If any members are high-risk, changes in the level of the social interactions outside the bubble probably means those members should consider whether they can still take on the pooled risk.

12/ The same is true if the level of risk during those interactions has gone up, which it has if there is an increase in COVID-19 cases circulating in your community. Boosting other harm reduction efforts by the bubble might be still sufficient to protect high-risk members.

13/ In light of increased community transmission, re-assessing the ground rules, re-visiting communication channels and re-evaluating the safety of members of the bubble is key. 🔑

So, if you have a bubble (or you want to form one now), it’s a great time for a bubble meeting!