The United States Government and Center for Disease Control have suggested all people (not just Americans) practice Social Distancing. Social distancing is defined by the CDC as “remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible”. This does not mean isolation; this means distance for safety.
The temptation in light of fears of getting sick, and wanting to get back to normal, is to hunker down (aka isolate) in your private, sanitized and safe place with Netflix and snacks.
You can be safe without isolating though. You are made for a relationship and need connection despite any COVID-19 viruses. I would encourage you to continue to sanitize and protect yourself, but get creative by connecting with others intentionally via digital devices and share what you are leaning, need and are afraid of with a trusted friend or loved one.
Now is the time to use Social Media for its intended purpose: connection. Here are some digital resources that will keep you connected to friends, family, loved ones without risking contamination or isolation:
Marco Polo (app)
Skype (app) or Duo (app) or FaceTime (app)
Snapchat (app)
Facebook (app)
In San Diego, this means that we can still enjoy the beach or parks so long as we are not near other people. Keeping your distance does not mean living in a bubble. At the time of this writing, the CDC had identified that COVID-19 is not airborne, which means that washing your hands and keeping yourself clean is integral to preventing the spread of COVID-19 to yourself and your loved ones. This also means that you cannot catch COVID-19 by breathing the same air as an affected person. All the more reason for connection with distance as opposed to isolation.
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