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1. This is a very good question indeed from Martha, so I'll try and answer it - because the dilemma described here is faced by many, many other people.
From the outset, it's very important to remember that risk mitigation is absolutely not binary.
From the outset, it's very important to remember that risk mitigation is absolutely not binary.
https://twitter.com/MaSchweigt/status/1734257387110838357
2. That is to say, risk mitigation is generally about *reducing* risk, rather than completely eliminating it - which in many situations (not just avoiding Covid) is simply not possible. The other point to remember is that the risk in this case is nested.
3. By that I mean, the goal is not simply avoiding infection, it is also having as few infections as possible. These are subtly different outcomes.
So, Martha is absolutely correct that living with other people creates a route for possible infection. No question of that.
So, Martha is absolutely correct that living with other people creates a route for possible infection. No question of that.
4. If the other people in the household are not taking precautions against infection, or are unable to do so, then the risk of SARS-CoV-2 being brought into the household is higher.
In this case, passive mitigation in the household will reduce risk.
In this case, passive mitigation in the household will reduce risk.
5. This entails HEPA filtration, ventilation, etc. Also asking other members of the household to test regularly may be useful.
However, key point: if one consistently mitigates one's *own* risk *outside* the household - such as by wearing a respirator, *overall* risk drops.
However, key point: if one consistently mitigates one's *own* risk *outside* the household - such as by wearing a respirator, *overall* risk drops.
6. This is why infection should never be considered inevitable, and, remembering the nested nature of the risk, if one takes *more* precautions than the average person, but still has some vulnerabilities (the other people in the household) *total* infections will still reduce.
7. To end on a personal anecdote. I have a good friend who convinced himself he was high-risk because he had a large household. That attitude led him to take no precautions, because he thought infection was inevitable.
8. As such, he ended up infecting several members of his household by going to a small gathering unmasked - because he had convinced himself that infection was inevitable...
The definition of a self-fulfilling prophecy /end
The definition of a self-fulfilling prophecy /end
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