Socializing

In this live Q&A, Dr. Malia Jones and Dr. Lauren Hale will be tackling questions about vaccines, takeout food, daylight savings time, and the ways in which kids are (and are not) like vaccinated grandmas. ➡️ Welcome and Intros (0:00-0:55) Related Link to Data Hero Awards ➡️ Sleep and the effects of Daylight Saving Time on Read more…

*** Edited to clarify that children who have not been vaccinated are considered unvaccinated people under this guidance.*** It’s Good News Tues! Yesterday, the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidelines stating that 👏🏼 fully 👏🏼vaccinated 👏🏼 people can safely: 🌟 Visit other vaccinated people indoors–without wearing masks or physically Read more…

“I’m single and in my late 30s … Pandemic dating is so hard… What is safe protocol for dating when you are in that “multiple first date” space because you haven’t found someone you want to go on multiple dates with yet?” Dating is hard in the best of times! Once you factor in a Read more…

In this live Q&A, Dear Pandemic contributing scientists Drs. Ashley Ritter and Malia Jones will be taking questions about pantyhose, vaccine safety, herd immunity, & keeping kids safer. If you have a question, put it in our question box at www.dearpandemic.org. ➡️ Welcome, Intros, and Announcements (0:00-2:03) ➡️ Should we be wearing nylon pantyhose over Read more…

Q: I’m having a hard time hearing. Any tips for improving communication while masked? A: We can’t ditch the masks but we can slow down our conversations, speak up, and add additional tools to improve communication. Universal efforts to improve masked communication aim to keep everyone engaged, regardless of their hearing abilities. Hearing difficulty in Read more…

A: Yes, and the safest option for enjoying the Super Bowl this year is to watch with members of your own household. Several of the Nerdy Girls are BIG football fans while others of us didn’t even realize it was Super Bowl weekend (oops!) but are still excited for the snacks and commercials. As much Read more…

In this live Q&A, Dear Pandemic contributing scientists Drs. Aparna Kumar and Christine Whelan will be joined by Lauren Ross, founder of Project Village! We’ll be tackling questions from our readers about mental health and community in the pandemic. If you have a question, put it in our question box at www.dearpandemic.org. ➡️ Welcome, Intros, Read more…

A: Full vaccination status (2 doses + 1-2 weeks) provides an additional layer of protection, but is not a silver bullet. Thankfully, existing COVID-19 vaccines drastically reduces the risk of severe infection and death. It’s not clear yet how much the vaccines reduce asymptomatic infection or transmission. Risk mitigation strategies (maintain space, wear masks, outdoor Read more…

A: YES, playgrounds can be safe with some guidelines. The risk of transmission on an outdoor playground is low (but not zero). The greatest risk of infection comes from the people on the playground, not the equipment. Skip the snack, pack some hand sanitizer, and stay SMART. SPREAD OUT. Keep space between your crew and Read more…

A: It will be much safer for the two of you to spend time in close contact than if one or both of you were not vaccinated, but keep in mind protection is not immediate nor 100%. You will also still need to take steps to prevent spreading infection to others until your community gets Read more…

On this Christmas Eve Eve, we offer up a clip from our weekend Q&A from Dr. Emily Smith, Epidemiologist at Baylor University & your Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist. Dr. Smith is also the spouse of a Christian minister and offers a faith perspective on this COVID-19 Christmas Eve. Some highlights: 🎄Christmas is not cancelled, we need Read more…

Today on the Live Q&A, we welcome Dr. Emily Smith of sister COVID info page, Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist! We’ll be doing a bit of a Christmas theme today–don’t miss it! ➡️ Welcome to Dr. Emily Smith! (0:00 – 8:25) Related link ➡️ Safe Advent & Xmas celebrations (8:50 – 14:47) Related link ➡️ Public health Read more…

A: A 14-day quarantine prior to visiting family and friends continues to offer the greatest risk reduction. TODAY IS THE DAY TO START YOUR QUARANTINE! The CDC recently revised guidelines offering alternatives to a 14-day quarantine for people exposed to someone with Covid-19 who remain asymptomatic. (Look for an in-depth post on this change next Read more…

Un pequeño recordatorio de actividades de riesgo moderado en el Día de Acción de Gracias. Celebremos con cuidado y tomando las debidas precauciones para mantenernos sanos. Cuerpo sano, mente sana. ~ Las “Nerdy Girls” Enlace a la publicación original de Facebook

A: Your “bubble” might be far bigger than you think. To figure out exactly how big and who you might be sharing germs with, think like a contact tracer and sketch out your contact network. 🖧 If you need to pull out a piece of paper to figure this out, that’s a whole lot of Read more…

A: The reality is that despite cooling temperatures outside we all need to be thinking about how to reduce the time we spend indoors with those not in our household. The good news is this won’t last forever and we know what steps to take. Indeed, re-upping the strategies we know work to stop the Read more…

Q: Massachusetts has just instituted 9:30pm curfews. What is the rationale for this restriction? Does closing restaurants and bars early really help curb the spread of COVID-19? A: There is a strong basis for targeting the hospitality industry for COVID-related restrictions. But if curfews are applied in isolation, they are unlikely to do much good. Read more…

Drs. Lindsey Leininger & Malia Jones tackle your COVID questions, including what’s up with curfews, immunity passes, and declining death rates. ➡️ Intro and website info (:00 – 3:59) ➡️ Lightning round (4:00 – 9:39) ➡️ Immunity: personal + herd (9:40 – 17:55) ➡️ Curfews to curb spread? (18:30 – 25:15) ➡️ Cases up, death Read more…

Q: Does this mean more lockdowns? To be honest, I’m kinda done. A: Cases are surging, we have rough weeks ahead, and everyone’s collective will to combat the pandemic has eroded. Stay focused on the things you can do in the short term, and stay realistic about this new surge. First, the numbers: If you Read more…

Drs. Grainger and Parkinson take your COVID questions! Today we tackled: ➡️ Intro + Halloween plans (:00 – 4:40) ➡️ Lightning round! (4:45 – 10:55) ➡️ Is it OK to have surgery? (11:00 – 16:30) ➡️ Hard truths re: Turkey Day (16:40 – 22:25) ➡️ Restaurants’ outdoor “dining domes” (22:30 – 27:39) ➡️ Risk-taking and Read more…