COVID-19, Monday, September 28th

Sports, fines, the midwest, and voting.

1. Major League Baseball just ended their regular season and things have gone pretty well. They have adhered to strict risk mitigation strategies and it has worked to allow for a season of sports. There were COVID cases and postponed games throughout the season but contact tracing was strong, protocols were adhered to and all in all, it was a success. Fingers crossed football experiences the same success.

2. England is now enforcing isolation protocols with heavy fines for anyone who does not comply. Those who are positive for COVID or who have been exposed and do not isolate as required are now facing fines of 1,000-10k pounds.

3. The % of tests returning as positive in the Midwest is up to 25% in some states – which is really high. You may recall we were concerned when Florida hit 14%. The goal is to get below 5%. North Dakota went from 6% positive to 30% in just a week’s time. While testing has increased in those states, the rate of positivity is increasing more than the increase in testing. In addition, these same states are experiencing increases in hospitalizations. In comparison, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine are currently reporting positivity rates below 1%. Also worth remembering is that overall death rates are down as we have learned a great deal regarding treatment.

4. I have been asked about voting so I want to weigh in on that. First, let me preface by saying that I support risk mitigation for this pandemic, not risk elimination. We simply can’t eliminate all the risks and still function. So instead, we recognize the risk and look for ways to manage them. As we have discussed, each person has different risk factors, different risk tolerance, and different needs, so I don’t think a single answer for anything ever works for everyone. But….in regard to voting – I think most people can safely go to the polls. You do however need to adhere to a few guidelines.

1) wear a mask, take either a disposable mask that you throw away afterward or a cloth mask that you drop in the washing machine afterward, 2) keep 6 feet between you and others – this becomes especially important if you are in line for a long period of time or are indoors for more than 15 minutes. 3)try to go at a time when you don’t expect many people to be there, 4)take hand sanitizer with you and hand sanitize as soon as you return to your vehicle and remove your mask – leave your mask on until you get to your vehicle and can hand sanitize. 5) don’t touch your face once you leave until you get somewhere and can wash your hands with warm soap and water. With these steps – you should be ok to go to the polls. However, each person has to evaluate their own risk, and decide for themselves. People in more rural areas face less risk from the polls than people in more crowded areas. High-risk individuals may need to consider absentee voting.

FINAL THOUGHTS: A fresh new week has begun, and I trust you can smell the promise and hope that it brings. Be kind to your body this week, be kind to your soul. Speak words of kindness and encouragement to yourself and others. Get a good smelling candle and settle into a week full of fresh opportunities to do things differently, to feel differently, and to think differently. Our lives are too short to simply survive each week, rushing the days from one to the next living only in the small stolen moments over the weekend. Instead, let’s chose to live in this moment soaking up everything it has to offer because this moment is full of possibilities.