Considerations for Summer Activities during the COVID-19 Pandemic [Video] | hioscar Blog | Oscar
Considerations for Summer Activities during the COVID-19 Pandemic [Video]
Dr. Stephanie Reznick returns to "From the Frontlines" with a new video on summer activities.
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Summer is traditionally a time for travel, barbecues, and social gatherings. With COVID-19 impacting communities across the country, Dr. Stephanie Reznick returns to "From the Frontlines" with a new video (opens in new tab) on summer activities.
![Considerations for Summer Activities during the COVID-19 Pandemic [Video]](//videos.ctfassets.net/plyq12u1bv8a/4w8qvbciOCEZpUtvG5Gbm5/c7e01204fec9418cf8cdb4b24f8e8ed3/COVID-19-From_the_Frontlines-_Considerations_for_Summer_Activities.mp4)
Video Transcript
“Hi everyone, this is Dr. Stephanie Camaglia Reznick. I'm a board certified internist and one of the doctors on call available through Oscar. In this segment, on COVID-19 also known as the novel coronavirus, I'm going to be discussing some ways the pandemic may be affecting your summer plans. For example, if you're planning to travel you're going to want to weigh the risks and benefits - the benefits, of course, being the memories, the family fun, and the stress relief that can come from traveling. The risk is catching COVID-19 and the implications that might have.
Some questions you may want to ask before traveling is how widespread is COVID-19 at your travel destination. You may also want to consider how widespread is COVID-19 in your current community. You don't want to inadvertently spread the virus.
Another important point is whether or not someone either in your travel party, in your household when you come home or someone you'll be seeing closely at your destination, if any of these people are at high risk for complications from COVID-19. If they're at high risk, then obviously the implications of them catching the virus is more severe.
The way you travel is another thing to consider. Some forms of travel make it easier to practice social distancing. If you're traveling in your own car with only your household members, it's a lot easier to stay six feet away from strangers or people not in your household than it is if you're traveling in busy airports or train stations.
Another point to remember is some locations will have a mandatory quarantine of two weeks so you don't want to travel someplace only to find out you can't leave your hotel room or wherever you're staying for the next two weeks.
Finally, remember that if you were to catch COVID-19, how problematic would it be for you to stay home and not go to school or work while you recover or if you're exposed to COVID-19, how problematic would it be to stay home from school work while you're quarantined for 14 days?
In regards to other activities that the summer is full of - going to the public pools, playgrounds, barbecues, there are several other things you want to keep in mind. First, check with local authorities as some public parks, pools, and playgrounds are not open. The good news is that the virus seems to be deactivated by chlorine and bromide so public pools are pretty safe but you still need to keep social distancing in mind if the virus could still spread through the air as droplets.
Keep in mind playgrounds can be particularly difficult to sanitize so if you choose to use public playgrounds, make sure to wash hands frequently for at least 20 seconds. While ideally you keep in isolation and only are close to those in your household, if you used to have playdates or other gatherings, try to consistently interact with the same people in a way that becomes an extended household. This is safer than interacting with many different groups of people which could precipitate faster spread of the virus.
During any of your summer activities, remember the key tenets of staying safe during the pandemic: hand-washing for at least 20 seconds with soap and water and/or use of hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% of alcohol, wearing a mask when in public, social distancing which is staying at least six feet away from others when possible, and staying home if you're sick. You don't want to be a part of the reason the virus continues to spread.
I hope you found this video helpful and I hope you have a fun and joyous safe summer. I'll see you next time.”
Video published 2020-07-10
This content does not constitute medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, including diagnosis or treatment. Contact your physician with any questions you may have regarding COVID-19 or your personal health. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911 for immediate assistance.
![Considerations for Summer Activities during the COVID-19 Pandemic [Video]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fjnbz686p%2Fhioscar_production%2F3d584c7e0d7f19512945d0590e85ec571c1eb19d-3840x2160.png%3Fw%3D3840%26fit%3Dmax%26fm%3Dwebp&w=3840&q=75)