Tips for avoiding COVID in Meridian, ID

Tips for avoiding COVID in Meridian ID require knowledge and accurate information on how COVID is transmitted.

1. Size matters. For example, LARGE GATHERINGS such as dinners or parties, especially with people from outside your immediate family/closest friends, pose the highest risk; you should only unmask around those people “inside your social bubble”.
2. Location matters. INDOOR, POORLY VENTILATED spaces hold the highest risk for virus transmission. That said, outdoor areas can still facilitate virus spread if other avoidance tips are ignored.
3. Duration matters. Gatherings that last longer pose more risk than shorter gatherings. In particular spending a cumulative total of 15 MINUTES over a 24-hour time period increases your risk becoming sick.
4. Distance matters.  Being within 6 FEET of someone who has COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes greatly increases the risk of becoming sick and the CDC recommends a 14-day quarantine.
5. HANDWASHING matters. Using an approved sanitizer (60+% alcohol) or soap and hot water for 20 seconds to remove germs before you touch your face can reduce transmission to yourself.
6. MASK USE matters. Of course, letting a mask sit below your nose (or chin) defeats the purpose. Use of gaiters (pulling up thin cloth from the neck area) is WORSE than using nothing, as most gaiter materials spew the virus to a greater extent, like a nozzle sprayer on a garden hose. Standard cotton 2-ply masks can reduce transmission 40-50% – both from yourself and to yourself.
7. Timing matters. Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus, but most commonly symptoms appear 5-6 days after exposure. Some infected people (40-50%) never have symptoms but are still contagious. Note you are MOST CONTAGIOUS 2 days prior to symptom onset and the following few days. When trying to get tested for COVID, the nasal swab or saliva diagnostic test will detect viral particles. It is accurate in the 5-14 day time frame post exposure, so if you try to get tested the day after being exposed, you will receive a FALSE NEGATIVE result.

For additional information, please read:

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/coronavirus-disease-2019-testing-basics

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#Symptoms-&-Testing

https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/