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As our country and the world enter a new era of a global pandemic, we are learning how to survive by protecting ourselves and looking out for the well-being of others. Medical experts and epidemiologists agree that it is critical to avoid getting or transmitting COVID-19, a type of airborne respiratory illness, or coronavirus, that was first detected in the United States early in 2020. Thousands of people have died while others have been hospitalized, with many in intensive care. Some patients report long-lasting after-effects of the virus, and a second wave may emerge during the upcoming flu season.
There is no widespread treatment, cure, or vaccine. Experts agree that one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID is to practice social distancing, which some refer to as physical distancing. This involves staying home away from the public as much as possible, but when you return to work or perform vital errands like doctor appointments or grocery shopping, take precautions. These include keeping at least six feet of distance away from other people in public and wearing a facial mask to protect yourself and others from spreading or contracting the viral droplets released during sneezing, coughing, singing, or speaking.
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Many people willingly engage in social distancing while others don’t take the COVID-19 threat seriously. Some of those naysayers argue with, protest against, or even physically assault people who try to practice recommended distancing. If your family, friends, or coworkers laugh or complain about your protective efforts against the coronavirus, here are some tips that may help.
Be Low-Key
Avoid a militaristic, rebellious attitude of expecting others to respect your perspective on this important initiative. Do what you feel is right, but don’t take a heroic stance or become a martyr to the cause. Maintain a calm, practical, good-natured demeanor without being defensive or argumentative. By staying on the X where you should be standing according to the six-foot distance rule being implemented by many businesses, without saying a word you are reminding others of this necessity. If someone moves too close to you, just step away to avoid their breaching the six-foot distancing protocol, and they may get the message.
Don’t Criticize
It is usually best not to confront others who are not complying with your state health department’s regulations or policies on personal distancing in public. You are not responsible for others’ actions, and they may resent you trying to tell them what to do. Some people might naturally forget to wear a mask or maintain the adequate distance while standing in line. The best thing you can do is to set an example without being preachy or showy about it.
Recommend Protective Policies
If you are a frequent customer at a local business or if you are working in a public position and feel that distancing guidelines are needed, suggest them to the supervisor or person in charge. Local and state-wide health departments may have already mandated certain protective practices at the jobsite or place of business, so check to see if there are policies in place. If not, you can recommend them to the company as a friendly gesture as well as a protective service for all involved.
Report Safety Violations
At work or in another area where you must be present, if there are new guidelines or rules for distancing that are not being followed by coworkers, and as a result, you and others are at risk of exposure to the corona virus due to this negligence, you may want to offer a friendly reminder quietly at first. If that doesn’t work, it might be necessary to speak to a supervisor about the situation. In issues like these that can become matters of life or death, you have the right and the responsible to speak up if necessary when protective rules are in place.
More people can be protected and many lives saved if we work together as a society to follow the experts’ rules and policies. By doing your part publicly, you can tacitly remind others to do theirs to keep us all safe from the corona virus
