Three Simple Steps for the New Normal

Masks are mostly gone. The six million worldwide deaths (one million in the U.S.)—if not forgotten, then are something we don’t really like thinking about. Almost half of us in the U.S. have now had the disease, and lived through it. Case rates and (a more important indicator) hospitalizations are way down, now in New Hampshire just four times higher than the lows of last summer. Here is what I suggest:

1. Watch the community spread rates and wear a mask for your own peace of mind or safety. With most people not wearing masks, it won’t make much difference to other people whether you are wearing a mask or not. But study after study shows they make a difference—see recent example below. In this CDC study of schools, mandatory masking cut covid-19 cases by a quarter.

Rockdalenewtoncitizen.com 3/8/2022

And, of course, as I have explained before, my preference is that if you’re going to wear a mask, you may as well do it right and make it really effective, as explained below.

https://www.kohlerandlewis.com/covid-19blog/2022/1/4/mechanicalengineeringrecommendations

One of the best numbers to follow for community spread is the count for hospitalizations—here is the source I use for New Hampshire:

Covidactnow.org - NH

2. Get on board with the new, magical solution: Fresh Air Ventilation! Yes, of course, I have been beating this drum for a couple of years, and now there is a growing chorus. "The White House’s roadmap for the next phase of the pandemic covers all the usual suspects, including Covid-19 surveillance, testing, vaccination and treatment. But there’s also a happy surprise tucked in there: a series of proposals to help improve indoor air quality. This marks an essential shift toward acknowledging that cleaning the air can help mitigate the spread of Covid.”

Bloomberg.com 3/8/2022

All the tools you need for this are in past blog posts, including the one about meters, shown below.

https://www.kohlerandlewis.com/covid-19blog/2022/1/20/mechanicalengineeringrecommendations

3. Keep an eagle eye out for symptoms. This is important whether or not you have had the disease. If you have had it, be aware that some long-haul symptoms can begin months after the infection. Here are a couple of examples.

KSL.com 3/8/2022
NBC11news.com 3/7/2022

If you haven’t had it, be aware that a wide range of symptoms could indicate covid-19. Now that testing (either home antigen tests or lab PCR tests are easily available), if you get tested at the first onset of symptoms, you can take advantage of the improved treatments now available, and also spread the disease to fewer people. Check the various blog posts for more information and suggestions.



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