Creating a Safe Social Pod
Creating a Safe Social Pod
If you’re like most people during the pandemic, you’ve been following the government guidelines, social distancing yourself, and masking. But it isn’t sustainable for people to be alone in their homes until this pandemic has ended. So, social pods have begun to be formed.
What is a Social Pod?
A social pod is a small group of under 10 self-contained people, consisting of people who are following the protocols of COVID rules. If you're in one of these pods, you are sharing your air with one another without masks or safety precautions.
There is more purpose than social connection during a pandemic. The small size of these pods helps to prevent and limit the size of outbreaks. Even though the idea of a social pod seems simple, it can become complicated.
Before Forming a Social Pod
There are different reasons to form a pod. You may be disabled and need help with groceries, cooking, and cleaning. Or you may have an older parent and who has caregiving needs. Everyone has different needs and have different circumstances.
To be sure your pod is workable, you will need to be sure that it meets all the people's needs within it. It's essential that everyone understands and acknowledges the latest in medical updates about the COVID19 virus. Since mask-wearing is a necessity to help prevent the spread of the virus, everyone in your pod needs to wear a mask when outside or around people not in your pod.
People in your pod need to know the symptoms of the virus as well. Recognizing the symptoms as soon as possible helps to protect the others in your pod. Anyone who has been in contact with a person with the virus through prolonged contact needs to tell everyone else. You need to consider the risk of having someone new within your pod before introducing them.
You need to have people in your pod that are accountable for their behavior and tells the truth if they've been exposed.
Questions to Ask
There are some questions to ask before allowing a new person into your social pod. You should ask when they were ever tested for COVID-19, and if so, when? If anyone close to them has been tested and what were the results. Ask them what their COVID-19 safety practices are.
Do they wear a mask in places that don't require a mask? Do they interact with people who aren't masked indoors or six feet apart outdoors? How often do they wash their hands? If they think you had been exposed to the virus, what steps would they follow?
If you or someone else in your pod isn’t comfortable with the person who wants in your pod, you may have to refuse. You need to make sure the people in your pod are comfortable both physically and emotionally with the people they are in contact with.
Suppose someone within your pod comes in contact with an infected person. In that case, it should be agreed that they isolate themselves until they get tested. Once they are over the virus, then the person can come back to the pod.
It's difficult to socialize during this pandemic. Still, common sense and limiting the number of people in your pod can help. Set down rules and make sure everyone follows them—practices such as mask-wearing, hand washing, and limited contact with non-mark wearers. People need to be around people; just be careful who you are in contact with.
If you or a loved one need home health care, we here at Right Here at Home are a phone call away.
