What do we do as COVID spreads in private?
Arizona Department of Health Services Director Cara Christ says in an Oct. 27 video that COVID-19 spread is moving “in the wrong direction.”
She also notes that “the main driver of transmission, both in Arizona and nationally, appears to be small household gatherings where people feel safe because they are around family and friends, and aren’t wearing masks or staying physically distanced.”
That would certainly be a shift. Until now, the focus has been on what we do in the public square, and about how certain businesses conduct themselves. There has been a lot of talk about maskless political rallies and restaurants and bars that refuse to follow the distancing rules.
There’s good reason for that. The summer surge is believed to have been largely driven by businesses that opened too early with too few specific precautions in place.
We can’t let down our guard on the places where people can congregate, particularly given the new research that most COVID-19 spread comes from a handful of super spreaders. The larger the crowd, the greater the chances that a super spreader will be in the midst.
But if this is true – that in-home get togethers are now driving the latest case spike – that complicates things. Because if state government was already loath to impose restrictions on the public space, you can bet that it will be even less likely to crack down on what happens in our homes.
And that’s a good thing. It’s not a proper function of government to mandate who comes to visit.
But it also puts a lot more onus on people to take personal responsibility for this pandemic, to ensure that even if they are at home, they’re continuing to wear masks and physically distance around anyone they don’t live with.
I know. That won’t be a satisfying answer for those who would rather we go into lockdown any time there is a case spike.
And I get it. Pandemic fatigue is real. We’re all looking for some semblance of normal, which in many cases means reconnecting in person with the people we care most about. There’s only so much Zoom interaction we can take.
But research suggests that many people who test positive for the novel coronavirus don’t spread it to others. It’s not fully clear why, but I suspect part of it is because most of us don’t want to get those we care about sick. As soon as we learn we’re positive, we take extra precautions, because that’s what families and friends do to protect each other.
Same for preventing COVID-19 spread. I’d argue that it is an act of love to wear a mask, stay six feet away from those you don’t live with and stay home if you’re sick (even with a headache or the sniffles).
The governor shouldn’t be the primary person to deliver this message (though he certainly should urge people to be safe – and set a better example for Arizonans by remaining masked, no matter who comes to town to visit).
Instead, this is a message best received from people like you and me.
It’s unreasonable to expect friends and extended family to stay apart, especially as we head into the holidays. Halloween is this weekend, and before you know it, Thanksgiving will be upon us.
But there are ways to lower the risk when meeting – by insisting on staying outside (hey, at least the weather is conducive for backyard visits now) or by getting together for a walk at a park instead of hanging out in a living room.
We can take it upon ourselves to wear masks and physically distance when we’re near our friends and extended family (you can do this – just be mindful of where you stand while gabbing). We also can insist on keeping gatherings small (generally, no more than 10 – though it may need to be smaller depending on the size of your space).
If you care about folks, this is the least you can do to keep them safe.