Tips to Avoid the COVID-19 Complacency Conundrum 

Living our lives while protecting ourselves and our familes from COVID-19 has been our new normal for a quite some time now. With more and more establishments re-opening and some people starting to gather again with family and friends, it is easy to become complacent and let down our guard when it comes to safety precautions. 

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp renewed his most recent executive order and Public Health State of Emergency through October 10, 2020. This includes, among other rules and safety restrictions, a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, urging high risk individuals to continue sheltering in place, and recommending wearing face masks in public. 

Experts suggest the best way to fight the COVID-19 complacency conundrum is to stay vigilant with your safety practices and continue encouraging your friends and relatives to do the same. This includes maintaining a six-feet distance from others, washing hands thoroughly and often, and wearing a face mask that covers your mouth and nose while in public places. 

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is recommended that we avoid the three Cs: 

• Closed spaces with poor ventilation - Think about sitting in an office space with people all around you and no windows open. Or possibly inside a restaurant with others around you. This limited ventilation is the perfect place for respiratory droplets to linger and increase your risk of exposure. 

• Crowded spaces - Social distancing (maintaining at least six feet of space between people) remains imperative. When you’re in a crowded space, social distancing becomes extremely difficult. 

• Close-range conversations - Talking or being near others closer than six feet already isn’t recommended because of how far droplets can spread when coughing, singing, etc. But even if you’re having a quiet conversation with one other person, if you’re within three feet of them, your risk of exposure is significantly higher. 

If the statistics are any indication, we will be living with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future. However, if we move forward with care, and not fear, we can hope to avoid a second wave of the virus and further restrictions in our area.