Your Questions Answered: Close and Physical Contact at Home & Work in an Era of Coronavirus

If you have COVID-19, you will likely spread it to 2-3 other people you come in contact with while you are contagious, unless you self-isolate. Two people may not seem like a lot, until they start to spread it to two other people, now that’s 5 people infected, and the infections will continue to multiply. Staying at home is how public health and government officials are encouraging individuals to limit contact and prevent the spread of the disease. This legislation is part of our government’s crisis management, and coupled with the panic we were all feeling when COVID-19 started sweeping across the United States, we as a nation substituted socializing for social distancing

The social distancing orders are data driven decisions from our government and public health officials. Each state and county are taking careful consideration for how and when to lift the stay at home orders. For example, California’s Governor shared preliminary details of the 4 phase reopening of the state, which allow for individual counties to move more quickly toward reopening, as long as they meet certain criteria

Personal Life

One question that is left unanswered in the steps to reopening is: when can we start socializing in person again? Well, the most important thing to remember is that coronavirus is here to stay until we develop herd immunity or there is a medical intervention such as a widely available vaccine or a therapeutic treatment, which can take up to a year. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shares that without these key factors, we are far off from achieving the pre-COVID-19 “normal”

By no uncertain terms, we still need to keep social distance and avoid in person contact at this point. We’re all longing for the day things start to feel like normal again, like throwing a huge dinner party, visiting your elderly relatives, or inviting your kid’s friends over for a playdate, but we’re far from these types of social interactions. We haven’t had the chance yet to explore what the status quo of our social lives will look like after the pandemic, and how to begin opening up our circle of who we expose ourselves to. 

With all things considered, there are so many ways of creating a new normal, and keeping close contact with your friends and family while using common sense precautions to see them with minimal risk of infection. 

Since the start of the virus’ lockdown, people have leaned on technology to connect with each other. Downloads of apps like Zoom, Skype and Houseparty increased across the board, with about 60 million daily active users on Skype in March 2020. This data goes to show that no matter the circumstances, people are going to overcome obstacles in connecting with each other in some shape or form. There’s no substitute for in person contact with your loved ones, and you may be at the point that virtual connection just isn’t cutting it anymore. 

When we start gathering with our loved ones in person again, we’re likely going to be meeting at our private residences as most of our favorite public places are still unavailable for gatherings, such as restaurant dining areas or the beach. Inviting guests into your home introduces risks to you and them, so how do you do it safely when it’s time to jumpstart this aspect of your social life? Using common sense hygiene practices are a must like washing your hands frequently, and covering your coughs and sneezes. It will also be a good idea to host your first get together outdoors since a recent study details that chances of spreading coronavirus increases indoors. 

We also need to be decisive about who to see in person. When the data allows for social distancing orders to loosen up, we’ll still want to protect our immunocompromised friends. Since people with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of infection, hanging out with them in person will still potentially be dangerous. Adopting new greetings such as a wave or a smile rather than a hug or handshake will be a must as well to limit physical contact. 

Businesses

Some of the more tangible goals outlined by California’s phases of reopening are in person shopping and visiting mid-risk businesses such as beauty salons, movie theaters, and malls. As a means of getting the ball rolling for revenue after mass temporary closures, many businesses initiated curbside pick up and ramped up delivery services. When the time comes for welcoming patrons inside, most business owners intend to open with strong precautions and different configurations to encourage social distancing. 

As a business owner, you may be considering the repercussions of opening too quickly and how to enforce efforts for social distancing, and the consumer may be wary of entering into a business that isn’t providing enough precautions such as access and crowd control. Hiring security personnel to maintain the capacity and politely enforcing social distancing in-store will put business owners and patrons at ease while mitigating the risk of spreading coronavirus. Utilizing security guards to perform temperature checks and administer sanitizer will be the first interaction that guests have when entering into your business, and effectively sends the message that the business cares about their health and safety as well as their patronage.

If for any reason you suspect an outbreak in your business, AEGIS launched our contact tracing services for private entities. We are offering targeted tracing and investigative services by certified professionals to quickly identify employees that may have been exposed, educate and support them through quarantine, and limit risk to your company.

AEGIS Security & Investigations is a Los Angeles based California company serving Southern, Central, and Northern California. We are licensed and insured in the State of California to provide high-end armed and unarmed regular and temporary off-duty police officers, bodyguards, security officers, loss prevention agents, and security staff. Additionally, we offer services for private investigation, consultation, people tracing, and background investigations. Our trainings and workshops in the field of security licensure and workplace violence prevention/ active shooter preparedness and response have been featured in news media and are renowned for their efficacy. For more information or to contact us, visit www.aegis.com.