I’m sure you’ve heard everything from “stock up we are all going to die” to “stop worrying, the Flu kills way more people each year.” If you know anything about humans and social media then you know the reality probably lies somewhere in between.
So what do we all do about it? First, don’t panic. Second, consider your social responsibilities. There are measures we can take to lower the impact of the virus on our communities. You have probably heard terms being thrown out such as social distancing, self-quarantine, and self-isolation. These terms while often being used interchangeably serve different purposes.
Social Distancing – Most of us living in affected areas that have not had close contact with the coronavirus should be practicing social distancing. Social distancing is a practice used to lower your chance of becoming infected and to reduce the spread of germs in a community. This helps slow the spread so our medical systems don’t get bombarded. The level in which you socially distance yourself comes in many levels, but for the most part, the principles are to avoid crowds, maintain distances from other humans around 6’, wash your hands frequently, be mindful of touching public surfaces and don’t touch your face when you do have to touch potentially contaminated surfaces. If you are a high-risk individual or have regular exposure to high-risk individuals you may want to practice more extreme social distancing and avoid all unnecessary public interactions.
If you are a young healthy person this may just mean being more diligent on handwashing, not sharing drinks and avoiding large crowds. As of right now, Washington State has mandated all events of more than 250 people be canceled. Otherwise, for the sake of our local community, try to live the rest of your life as normal as possible. Maybe just leave a little more space in lines and wash your hands more frequently.
Quarantine – If you have come in close contact with someone that is known to be infected with Covid-19 virus or have recently traveled to a highly infected area it is best to practice self-quarantine. Self-quarantine means creating separation. Work from home and don’t go to public spaces. Don’t use public transportation including rideshares such as Lyft. Have others run errands for you. When possible also create separation at home including your own bedroom and bathroom. Clean shared spaces frequently, wash your hands often and wear a mask if you need to go into public. The recommended time for quarantine for the Covoid-19 virus is 14 days. If you at any point start to have symptoms call a medical professional to see if you should be tested.
Isolation:
Isolation is for those who are experiencing symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19. If you have a fever or cough separate yourself from everyone and call a medical provider to see if you should get tested. Those in close contact with you should consider quarantine. If you need medical attention call ahead to let your provider know you are coming.
What are we doing at Ascent?
As of right now no known members or participants of Ascent Fitness have Covid-19 so we are practicing social distancing. We are continuing to have classes but are taking extra precautions to prevent contamination between individuals by eliminating high fives, cleaning frequently and encouraging hand washing. We are also helping support those who are practicing more extreme socially distancing or self-quarantine with at-home versions of our workout.
If someone in our community tests positive we will take further measures to contact those who have been in close contact and follow quarantine procedures.
Finally, if you are sick we do not recommend working out and ask that you do not come to the gym.