Celebrating Christmas will be a lottery: if you attend something, you must know these rules

It is important to realize that there is no option to safely visit your family on vacation. This is a lottery.

Various rules

As Professor Saulius Čaplinskas, former director of the Center for Communicable Diseases and AIDS (ULAC), recalls, a person can have an asymptomatic form of the disease and not even know that they are spreading the virus. According to him, it is this group that contributes greatly to the spread of the virus.

According to the teacher, first of all, it is very important that a person is aware of the possible risks to their loved ones.

“If a person already makes the decision to go visit them, it is important that the person understands and thinks about how to reduce that risk. If a rapid antigen test is already available, there’s only one thing to understand: if it’s positive, don’t drive. But if it is negative, it does not mean that a person cannot have coronavirus. In any case, everything possible should be done to protect loved ones with whom he does not live ”, says prof. S. Čaplinskas.

It’s also important to realize that your loved ones can get COVID-19, which is why visiting them puts you at risk not only to your health but also to yourself. Prof. S. Čaplinskas emphasizes that when visiting relatives, the same rules apply as anywhere else: stay close to people for the shortest time possible and wear protective masks at all times (even indoors). “If you’ve already had dinner, you should try to keep your distance. When you’re not eating, put the mask back on. If you want to take a photo, you may be able to take the photo and put the mask back on after half a minute. They should be understood. rules: let the other person inhale as little as possible the air that contains the virus. But there will still be a lottery, “says the expert.

He adds that nasal sprays that soak up the nasal mucosa can also help reduce the risk of infection. “Why are cold viruses widespread during the cold season? On the one hand, they have a better time, and on the other hand, the nasal mucosa dries up. If the humidity is low and cold outside, and the interior heating is low , the nasal mucosa dries up and its mechanical function diminishes ”, says Prof S. Čaplinskas.

Remember that nothing has a 100 percent discount. protection, even vaccines do not protect us 100% from diseases. “However, applying all the recommendations together can help reduce the chance of infection, especially if a low dose of the virus is inhaled.

People must understand that the nasal mucosa is the most suitable for the virus. These are the ones who put on the mask without covering their nose, they do not understand it at all, it is the same as not wearing the mask at all, if the mask does not cover the nose and is not tight ”, explains the expert.

The idea of ​​social bubbles

As the holidays approach, in some places you can hear the idea of ​​forming social bubbles. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the formation of a social bubble – small groups of people spending time together indoors in the company of others – can be one of the safest ways to communicate. under coronavirus conditions.

About this idea Delphi Professor Mindaugas Stankūnas, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, who is also a member of the Council of Health Experts established by the Presidency. According to him, the idea of ​​forming a social bubble is seriously considered by the expert council: experts would present recommendations for the formation of such bubbles if the epidemiological situation in Lithuania improves.
However, while the situation is so bad, the expert recommends that Lithuanians do not visit their relatives and accept holidays only on the family farm.

“As long as the situation is uncertain and we don’t know how much the girl will change, we offer one simple thing: limit any communication between families. This means that people from the same family farm who live in the same room can communicate. However, during the meeting thoughts were also expressed with the president about social bubbles, ”says the expert.

The council, which met with the president on Sunday, recommended that only one family farm should communicate with each other. A resolution passed by the government states that two family farms of up to 10 people can communicate. Prof. Mr. Stankūnas sees a loophole here that could spread the virus.

“We have a rule that two families can communicate, no more than 10 people. By following this rule, I can visit half of my relatives in a matter of hours, as is the case at Christmas. And by very successfully following this rule, I can spread the virus throughout Lithuania.

In the morning I go with my parents, I chat, we wake up without any security measures. Two family farms meet – 7 people. The rules are not violated. I go to my brother: I will not break the rule again, I communicate. Later I visited friends and the rules were not broken. I go to my father-in-law: the rules are never broken again. In a good noon I visited a lot more people, but I don’t break any rules and the virus spreads ”, says the expert.

According to him, this is how the virus spreads the most in Lithuania: in families. Prof. M. Stankūnas talks about a scientific article that was published in a prestigious magazine. The findings make it clear that the most effective way to reduce the spread of the virus is to limit small gatherings. “It will do nothing else, we communicate in families and we can spread the virus, because now we can all be carriers, we just don’t feel any symptoms,” says prof. M. Stankūnas.

According to him, it is very unfortunate, but so far the smartest solution would be to spend the holidays only on his family’s farm, without visiting friends or relatives. However, the researcher recalls that the recommendations are not simple: people who are sick, alone and unable to care for themselves can visit.

But the expert urges people to be vigilant. “It scares me if our health system will bend – It will be even worse. It is necessary to protect the health system. According to statistics, one in four patients in the hospital is “covid”. If our situation stops, the curve begins to decline, we must understand that those people who have been diagnosed with the disease during the weekend will start going to hospitals after a while. The health system will be blocked, we will have gloomy images ”, warns the specialist.

However, prof. M. Stankūnas also agrees with prof. With the rules proposed by S. Čaplinskas. “It would be better not to reunite with your loved ones, but if that happens, the mask can really help, wash your hands too,” says prof. M. Stankūnas, but emphasizes that it is related to people’s consciences.

Tips

In early November, Business Insider interviewed five infectious disease specialists from the US and asked what they thought of the idea of ​​a safe social bubble. These are his main recommendations:

• Experts agreed that the smaller the social bubble, the better. Ideally, experts recommend avoiding close contact indoors with people outside your home. If you decide to expand your social bubble, it is best to limit yourself to the fewest number of households possible. Currently, two family farms of up to 10 people can meet in Lithuania.
• The symptoms of the new coronavirus appear after fourteen days of infection, so experts recommend waiting two weeks after the decision to form a social bubble so that all its members are healthy. During that time, the group should avoid any unnecessary activities.
• Meetings and activities outdoors are much safer than indoors, but the latter cannot be avoided in winter. A great option is to ensure interior ventilation.
• Experts agree that adhering to a protective mask and a safe distance are rules that even members of the smallest social bubble must follow. Ideally, people should be separated by a distance of at least two meters, although when there are a lot of people, in the worst case, a distance of one meter is also appropriate. Protective masks are worn at least some of the time, even in a small group of people.
• Even the smallest social bubbles pose a risk, which is why experts strongly recommend not including people of respectable age (over 60), pregnant women, or people with health problems (such as obesity, high blood pressure, or diabetes).