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Smartphone apps. These can help people cope with anxiety, depression, addiction and other disorders. There are hundreds of available apps, and they allow users to share stories and cope with symptoms. “When you can’t afford therapy but are struggling to handle your illness alone, apps are a good alternative,” Marek says. “Most are free and others are reasonably priced, and they offer resources that make therapeutic techniques more accessible and cost-effective. Mental health apps also can provide useful data to therapists and physicians as well as benefit patients.”
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Telehealth. With social distancing still a primary safety measure, telehealth allows the patient to video conference with the doctor, and the method is gaining momentum in mental health. “Telehealth offers many advantages for mental health treatment,” Marek says. “It improves access and comfort for patients who won’t see a doctor in person, and sometimes video conferencing is more beneficial than phone calls because a human connection happens faster via video. Many people in the wellness industry are still trying to figure out how to incorporate mental health into their practice, and telehealth offers that integration.”
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Internet support groups. With some people not comfortable attending support groups near their homes, internet support groups provide an alternative. “People can be anonymous and feel comfortable revealing their struggles and engaging with other participants,” Marek says. “One of the best things about support groups always has been the sense of community and comfort in relating to others going through similar struggles as yourself. For a time, you forget that feeling of being alone. Also, support groups often provide resources for mental health information and professional help.”
Health
Fatima Jallow Named DAISY Award Winner
L to R – Karen Matteucci, Clinical Manager: Fatima Jallow, RN/ Daisy Award recipient: Michelle Schumacher, Director Home Health: Tanya Konitzer, Executive Director Home Health | Infusion Services.
Racine – Ascension at Home honored Fatima Jallow, RN, for being the “best of the best” during their recent DAISY Award ceremony. This is the fifth year Ascension at Home in Wisconsin has been participating in the DAISY Award program. Recipients are selected quarterly, based on their clinical expertise and demonstration of extraordinary compassionate care.
The DAISY Award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an auto-immune disease. To learn more, go to www.daisyfoundation.org.
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About Ascension at Home
Ascension at Home delivers compassionate, high-quality, patient-centered healthcare services, including home health, infusion therapy and hospice in Wisconsin and six other states. Our comprehensive home health services are reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid and commercial payors. To learn more about Ascension at Home, please visit www.ascensionathome.com or call 866-740-1166.
Solving the CNL6 mystery in Batten disease
Batten disease is a family of 13 rare, genetically distinct conditions. Collectively, they are the most prevalent cause of neurodegenerative disease in children, affecting 1 in 12,500 live births in the U.S. One of the Batten disease genes is CLN6. How mutations in this gene lead to the disease has been a mystery, but a study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation reveals how defective CLN6 can result in Batten disease.
“People with Batten disease have problems with their cells’ ability to clear cellular waste, which then accumulates to toxic levels,” said first author Dr. Lakshya Bajaj, who was working on this project while a doctorate student in the laboratory of Dr. Marco Sardiello at Baylor. Bajaj is currently a post-doctoral associate at Harvard Medical School.
In cells, lysosomes process cellular waste. They are sacs containing enzymes, a type of proteins that break down waste products into its constituent components that the cell can recycle or discard. In Batten disease caused by mutations in CLN6, the lysosomes do not process waste effectively for unknown reasons. This results in waste accumulation. Batten disease is a type of lysosomal storage disorder. Although all types of cells can be affected by defects in lysosomal waste management, brain cells, neurons, are particularly susceptible.
“Waste accumulation in neurons perturbs many cellular processes and eventually results in cell death. This leads to the progressive degeneration of motor, physical and intellectual abilities observed in Batten disease patients,” Bajaj said.
CLN6: another piece of the Batten disease puzzle
The connection of CLN6 with Batten disease was a bit of a mystery. This protein is not found in lysosomes, but in the endoplasmic reticulum, a structure inside cells where proteins, including lysosomal enzymes, are made. The endoplasmic reticulum is separate from the lysosomes. So, how do defects in a protein located outside of the lysosomes interfere with lysosomal function?
The Sardiello lab had previously solved a similar mystery involving CLN8, another protein located in the endoplasmic reticulum and whose mutations also cause a type of Batten disease.
“We showed that CNL8 assists on the exit of lysosomal enzymes from the endoplasmic reticulum en route to the lysosomes. When CLN8 is defective, the transport of enzymes from their place of synthesis to the final destination is deficient and the lysosomes end up having fewer enzymes to work with,” said Sardiello, associate professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor and corresponding author of this work.
CLN6 and CLN8 work together
The clinical manifestations of Batten disease caused by CLN8 mutations and those of Batten disease due to defective CLN6 are remarkably similar. This and other evidence led the researchers to suspect that CLN6 and CLN8 might be working together.
Their investigations revealed that CLN6 and CLN8 do interact with each other forming a molecular complex that collects lysosomal enzymes at the endoplasmic reticulum and mediates their trafficking towards the lysosomes.
“We propose that CLN8 and CLN6 together herd the enzymes into a hub, a sort of ‘bus stop.’ Then, CLN8 escorts the enzymes on the bus en route to the lysosomes, while CLN6 remains at the bus stop. CLN8 returns to the bus stop after delivering the enzymes, and they repeat the process,” Bajaj said. “When CLN6 is defective, the enzymes are not effectively herded into the bus stop and fewer are transported to the lysosomes.”
The researchers are interested in finding whether other factors are involved in transporting enzymes to the lysosomes. For instance, whether there are other ‘bus conductors or herders’ of lysosomal enzymes involved that, if defective, may also contribute to Batten disease.
Other contributors to this work include Jaiprakash Sharma, Alberto di Ronza, Pengcheng Zhang, Aiden Eblimit, Rituraj Pal, Dany Roman, John R. Collette, Clarissa Booth, Kevin T. Chang, Richard N. Sifers, Sung Y. Jung, Jill M. Weimer, Rui Chen and Randy W. Schekman. The authors are affiliated with one or more of the following institutions: Baylor College of Medicine; Texas Children’s Hospital; University of California, Berkeley; Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota.
This work was supported by NIH grants NS079618 and GM127492 and grants from the Gwenyth Gray Foundation, Beyond Batten Disease Foundation and NCL-Stiftung. This project was supported in part by IDDRC grant number 1U54 HD083092 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Integrated Microscopy Core and the Proteomics Core at Baylor College of Medicine with funding from NIH (DK56338, and CA125123), CPRIT (RP150578, RP170719), the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the John S. Dunn Gulf Coast Consortium for Chemical Genomics.
How to work off the ‘Quarantine 15’
HOUSTON – (July 1, 2020) – From gyms closing to ordering more takeout, COVID-19 has disrupted the health and fitness routines of many people.
According to a weight loss expert at the Baylor College of Medicine, stress and spending more time at home can lead to emotional eating and snacking all day from boredom. This may contribute to weight gain over the past few months – a phenomenon many are referring to as ‘COVID-15’ or ‘Quarantine 15.’
“COVID-19 changed how we eat, what we eat and how we spend our day,” said Dr. Peter Jian, weight managementspecialist and an assistant professor of family and community medicine at Baylor. “Unfortunately, for some of us that meant less healthy choices.”
If you have gained excess weight or feel out of shape due to quarantine and stay-at-home orders, Jian offers tips on how to successfully work it off and return to a healthy lifestyle.
Utilize free time at home
Although this is a challenging time, Jian advises trying to view it as a chance to form healthier habits. Spending more time at home offers an opportunity to learn how to cook healthy recipes and get involved in new hobbies that keep you active, he said.
“Use this time as an opportunity to focus on the things that we can do in order to improve our health,” Jian said.
Get involved in a physical activity
If you are not comfortable with attending the gym yet, there are other exercises to pursue that are in less crowded areas, such as biking, hiking and walking outside.
Jian also recommends joining online fitness programs so that you can exercise without having to leave your house.
“We know that COVID-19 disrupted our physical activities quite a bit, but it’s still not too difficult to have a fair amount of activity each day,” he said.
Grocery shop in a safe way that leads to weight loss
Since it is still essential to prioritize social distancing, Jian recommends taking advantage of purchasing nutritious foods through curbside pickup and delivery options from grocery stores.
If you decide to shop in person at the grocery store, he advises choosing foods that are placed at the front and peripheral aisles of the store where the fresh and organic produce is located. He adds that it is best to avoid the inner aisles that tend to house more pre-packaged and processed foods.
“For some of us who might be at higher risk of COVID-19 infections, you don’t have to expose yourself to a potential risk to still be able to get fresh and nutritious produce,” Jian said.
Make small, gradual changes
When it comes to losing weight, Jian advises to start out small by gradually introducing new eating and exercise habits. He adds that this will make the changes easier to adjust to and provide a more positive outcome.
Be cautious of fad diets or programs
While there are multiple diet programs to choose from today, Jian warns that many of them are not backed by science and could be harmful to your health. If there are any difficulties or challenges with losing weight, Jian advises to seek help with a medical health professional.
“It’s a very challenging time but I think the best we can do is focus on the positives and focus on the things that we can control and the things that we can do positively influence our own health,” Jian said.
1 in 5 Milwaukee Retailers Are Selling Tobacco to Youth
Cheap, Flavored Tobacco Easily Accessible To Milwaukee Teens
One in five retailers are selling to city youth
MILWAUKEE– One in five tobacco retailers in the City of Milwaukee sold tobacco or nicotine products to underage youth during 2019 compliance checks, according to newly released data from Wisconsin Wins. The 21% rate of sale in Milwaukee was a decrease from the previous year (25%), although the ten-year trend is up from 11% in 2009. Youth access rate in Milwaukee peaked in 2015 at 27%. Wisconsin Wins Access Rate Trend
During the Wisconsin Wins compliance checks, minors attempt to purchase tobacco or nicotine products, including cheap, flavored cigarillos, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or single cigarettes. If they are successful, a Milwaukee police officer working with the minors writes a ticket on the spot or retailers can choose to sign up for the MARTS program (Milwaukee Achieving Responsible Tobacco Sales) to avoid citation.
The 2019 Wisconsin WINS compliance checks were conducted when it was still legal to sell tobacco to individuals ages 18 and up. In December 2019, an amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act raised the federal minimum age of sale of tobacco products – including cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes – to anyone under 21. The City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance is educating local retailers on how they can comply with the new Tobacco 21 regulations.
Wisconsin Wins is a science-based strategy to reduce youth access to tobacco products. Local members of FACT, Wisconsin’s youth tobacco prevention program focused on peer-to-peer messaging, help to conduct Wins checks in Milwaukee.
“Although retailers are getting a little bit better about not selling tobacco to minors, there are still too many who are willing to sell to youth and beginning their addiction to nicotine,” said DW, a member of the FACT group organized at Neu-Life Community Development in Milwaukee who also participated in last summer’s Wins checks. “More shop owners and employees should look out for the health and safety of the youth in their community.”
Most of the products purchased were cheap, flavored cigarillos. This type of tobacco product enjoys a lower tax rate than traditional cigarettes while still packing the same punch as a pack of cigarettes. Cigarillos, which are high in nicotine content, are typically sold in packs of two and often cost 99 cents per pack, whereas a traditional pack of 20 cigarettes costs around $8, including the Wisconsin state tobacco tax of $2.52 per pack. Single cigarette sales are illegal, yet still common in Milwaukee’s central city.
While the overall rate of sale was 21% in Milwaukee, various aldermanic districts within the city saw more sales than others. District 1 on the North Side had a 47% youth access rate; District 9 on the far North West Side had a 45% youth access rate; and District 4, encompassing Downtown, the Near West Side, and the East Side, had a 35% youth access rate.
Despite the high youth access rate overall, over 4 in 5 (81%) of retailers checked ID before a transaction and 60% posted signage indicating no sales to minors.
The Wisconsin Wins compliance checks were conducted through a partnership between City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance at Community Advocates; Neu-Life Community Development; Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network; Wisconsin Hispanic Latino Tobacco Prevention Network, and MPD’s License Investigation Unit.
To learn more about the City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance or the Wisconsin Wins compliance checks, contact Anneke Mohr at[email protected] or 414-270-2948.
Virtual event on ACA in Milwaukee
U.S. California Senator Kamala Harris will join Jill Biden, wife of presumptive Democratic nominee, Vice President Joe Biden; and state Rep. Robyn Vining for a virtual Affordable Care Act (ACA) event in Milwaukee Friday, June 26. Starting time is 2:15 p.m. Members of the Milwaukee community will also join the event to discuss ways the ACA has helped improve their lives. The virtual event is happening on the same day the Trump Administration will be filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to repeal the ACA, would strip health coverage from more than 200,000 Wisconsintes.
Vivent Health Announces Partnership with National AIDS Memorial
Partnership will raise awareness about the history and current state of the HIV/AIDS epidemic
MILWAUKEE, WI – June 23, 2020 – Vivent Health announced today a long-term partnership with the National AIDS Memorial, a nonprofit devoted to the remembrance of people lost to AIDS that works to ensure the legacy and ongoing struggle with AIDS is never forgotten. As the Premier National Community Partner of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, Vivent Health is providing a monetary gift
Under the care and stewardship of the National AIDS Memorial, the Quilt serves as a visual reminder of the AIDS epidemic and continues as the largest ongoing community art project in the world. Today, the Quilt is a powerful social justice teaching tool, weighing more than 54 tons, and having grown to nearly 50,000 3-by 6-foot memorial panels, individually sewn together to tell the personal stories of 105,000 lives lost to AIDS.
Vivent Health and the National AIDS Memorial begins the partnership by announcing that ten sections of the Quilt, consisting of 80 individual panels, will be on display at Vivent Health offices in
“We are honored to support the work of the National AIDS Memorial and proud to display panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt in our offices to serve as a powerful symbol to fight prejudice, raise awareness, promote healing and foster hope,” said Michael J. Gifford, President and Chief Executive Officer for Vivent Health. “The Quilt remains one of the most poignant reminders of the breadth and scope of the HIV epidemic. We are honored to join forces and expand education and awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in pursuit of our vision of a world without AIDS.”
“Today, the Quilt remains a powerful social justice teaching tool that represents so many lives lost to HIV/AIDS,” said National AIDS Memorial Executive Director John Cunningham. “With the support from partners like Vivent Health, we are able to ensure that the lives and stories the Quilt represents can be shared in communities across the country, and used to help educate communities in the fight against HIV/AIDS.”
The AIDS Quilt was conceived by long-time San Francisco gay rights activist Cleve Jones, who is also a dear friend and active supporter of Vivent Health. In 1985, while planning an annual candlelight march to honor men like San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone, Jones learned that more than 1,000 San Franciscans had died from AIDS-related complications. Jones asked each of his fellow marchers to write the names of friends and loved ones who had died on placards. At the end of the march, Jones and others stood on ladders taping these placards to the walls of the San Francisco Federal Building. The wall of names looked like a patchwork quilt. It was this seemingly simple act of love and defiance that led to the first panels of the Quilt being created, and sparking a national movement that continues today.
“The enormity of loss and social injustice the Quilt represents is so profound and it visually captures the painful journey of the HIV/AIDS crisis that our country continues to face four decades later,” said Cleve Jones. “I am truly moved by the leadership of Vivent Health in supporting the Quilt and helping share the Quilt’s powerful story, particularly in helping reach communities most impacted by HIV/AIDS today.”
Since the first cases of AIDS were reported in 1980, more than 700,000 people have died from AIDS-related complications in the United States. Today, there are more than 1.1 million people currently living with HIV in the United States, and an estimated 1 in 7 people do not know they have HIV. In 2018, nearly 38,000 people received an HIV diagnosis in the United States, with Black/African American gay and bisexual men accounting for the largest number of HIV diagnoses. The partnership between Vivent Health and National AIDS Memorial will collaboratively raise awareness and reach communities and populations adversely impacted by HIV.
Temporary Isolation Can Be The Opportunity To Permanently Transform Your Weight And Health
Los Angeles, CA, June 22, 2020 ̶ Not sure how to eat and stay healthy this quarantine season without resorting to your familiar diet of spaghetti, bread, pizza, and sugar? Candice Rosen, R.N., MSW, and author of the upcoming book Forget Dieting: It’s All About Data-Driven Fueling! encourages “trophology,” or “food combining,” which is one of the foundations of Rosen’s Data-Driven Fueling Plan. As you combine foods, Rosen adds that “monitoring blood glucose is the key to weight gain vs. weight loss; good health vs. poor health.”
1. Make Wednesdays and Fridays Vegan Days. According to Rosen, avoid dairy! Try vegan yogurts, cheeses, and milks. Dairy is inflammatory and will deplete your bones of calcium (it’s true!). There are unsweetened milks of almond, hemp, cashew, etc., and all are available in grocery stores. A low blood glucose breakfast idea would be a sprouted grain English muffin, spread with a tofu or nut-based cream cheese, some sliced tomatoes, and topped off with sea salt or Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend.
2. Eat fruits that are high in fiber. Apples, bananas, oranges, berries ̶ the list goes on! You will still want to avoid sugary fruit juices, as well as very sweet fruits like pineapples and mangos while trying to lose weight. Fruit is always eaten alone with two exceptions: they can be added to a vegan smoothie and they can be eaten with a nut or seed butter. These healthy fats reduce the chance of a blood glucose spike.
3. Nothing white. To lower blood glucose, do not eat or combine animal proteins with any white potatoes, bread, rice, or pasta… EVER. Sorry!
4. Eat More Sweet Potatoes. Think wholesome, nutritious, responsibly grown, pancreatic-friendly foods (food that doesn’t raise your blood glucose) like sweet potatoes and yams, which are an incredibly nutritious carbohydrate that are low in sugar levels and provide fiber. They’re best consumed baked or steamed, but can also be cooked in a variety of other ways. A great lunch or dinner option (and it is inexpensive) is a baked sweet potato, split down the middle with a large spoonful of black beans, a tablespoon of tomatillo salsa, and a side salad. To lower blood sugar, eat them with veggies and plant-based protein together… NOT MEAT!
5. Try Fish. Give your body a break from animal protein. Red meats increase inflammation and provide poor sources of fat. However, if you crave protein, try fish! For those who aren’t allergic, fish is a fantastic source of protein that’s low in carbohydrates and contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, one of the few consumable healthy fats! If consuming fish raw, remember only sashimi-style – no white rice! To lower blood sugar, combine fish with veggies, not starches or fruit.
About the author:
Candice P. Rosen, RN, MSW, CHC, is a registered nurse based in Los Angeles, CA. As the founding member of Gilda’s Club Chicago and its first executive director and program director, she created and coordinated a diverse array of wellness-related programs. She was appointed by Mayor Richard Daley to serve as Chair of Healthcare Initiatives for Chicago’s Sister Cities International Program (CSCIP). CSCIP provided an opportunity to advocate for preventive medicine, improve maternal and infant healthcare, stress disability access, promote nourishing diets, and bring awareness to the obesity and diabetes epidemics that now affect populations on a global level. She is married and the mother of four adult children and grandmother to a precious granddaughter. For more information on Candice, please visit https://candicerosenrn.
Is Your Farm A Mosquito Magnet? 5 Ways To Protect Your People And Animals
While COVID-19 remains in the front of everyone’s mind, the coming of mosquito season means that both people and livestock are vulnerable to other serious illnesses if the farm infrastructure is not sound.
Mosquitoes can transmit a number of diseases, including dengue, malaria, yellow fever, Zika and West Nile virus. Farms provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes in numerous places. But plenty of measures can be taken to protect the landscape, waters, and structures from mass mosquito gathering and the disease they bring, says David Anderson (www.horsedrinker.com), president and CEO of Bar-Bar-A, a company that produces mosquito- and algae-free automatic livestock drinkers.
“Mosquitoes are a real threat to farms everywhere,” Anderson says. “They carry disease that can affect humans as well as animals, while also affecting a livestock operation’s bottom line.
“Mosquitoes multiply quickly; females lay about 100 eggs at a time. So it can be a constant battle keeping their population down without knowing the preventative tactics you can use in the many places where they’re attracted.”
Anderson offers the following tips to firm up the farm infrastructure and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds:
- Use nature. Mosquitoes are annoying to people but a meal to other creatures. Thus, nature is one of the best options for mosquito control, and creating a welcome farm environment for mosquito-eating species means reducing mosquitoes on the property. “Dragonflies love to eat mosquitoes and will attack them as both nymphs and adults,” Anderson says. “If you have a pond or other body of water, you can release dragonfly nymphs into the water and let them feast on the mosquitoes. Fish are an effective weapon against mosquitoes; goldfish, minnows, and guppies eat mosquito larvae in ponds.”
- Disrupt stagnant ponds, swamps. Mosquitoes need stagnant water to spawn, and ponds or swamps are breeding grounds for them. “An answer for this is installing an aeration pump or a fountain,” Anderson says. “Those can disrupt the water and make it difficult for mosquitoes to reproduce. You can also reduce the amount of vegetation, such as lily pads, piles of leaves, and cattails that are all either in the water or around it. That will reduce the places that protect mosquitoes from their predators.”
- Eliminate standing water. The water in drinking troughs often becomes stagnant and, therefore, a magnet for mosquitoes. Draining and refilling troughs and water buckets frequently with fresh water is one answer. Anderson says there’s a remarkable number of places on farms to watch out for standing water – thus, more mosquito havens. “Empty or remove containers that hold water – tires, birdbaths, clogged gutters, water troughs, and feed pans, among others,” Anderson says. “Clean the water troughs to prevent mosquito-friendly vegetation. Potholes also fill with water and should be fixed promptly.”
- Maintain the air flow. “It’s vital to keep the air moving in barns and stables,” Anderson says. “Stagnant air, like stagnant water, is inviting to them. It traps moisture and scents that attract them. Use fans in barns and stables to discourage mosquitoes from sticking around.”
- Set traps. Traps have an attractant to lure and either capture or kill female mosquitoes. “If you purchase traps, check the label to ensure you’re setting enough traps for the size of your property,” Anderson says. “You can also create your own DIY mosquito traps. A Google search will turn up methods for making them. Just never place traps where people or animals gather.”
“You can greatly reduce the amount of mosquitoes on your farm, but it takes extra effort,” Anderson says. “But with the health of your people and livestock at risk, it’s so well worth it.”
About David Anderson
D George Anderson (www.horsedrinker.com) is an animal advocate, entrepreneur and President/CEO of Bar-Bar-A Horse & Livestock Drinkers. A proponent for horse and livestock safe keeping, his company has pushed to eliminate the potential for shock and electrocution of livestock, stemming from the use of water and electricity and the standing water that can contribute to viruses and unhealthy drinking water for animals. A developer of varied products and designs, he received an International MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, AZ. An international traveling enthusiast, he studied Hebrew in Israel, Arabic in North Africa and Mandarin Chinese in Beijing.
Assess your risk level when making Father’s Day plans
People across the country are experiencing social distancing and stay-at-home fatigue, but as much as we want the pandemic to be over, we are not out of the woods yet, according to an infectious diseases expert at Baylor College of Medicine. He offers some tips on staying safe while making plans for Father’s Day this weekend.
“We know that in the last couple of weeks, cases are up,” said Dr. Prathit Kulkarni, assistant professor of medicine – infectious diseases at Baylor. “At least for the foreseeable future, we’re entering a new phase of how we live our lives and conduct our daily business.”
One way to modify your Father’s Day celebrations is to limit the number of people who are joining if the celebration is taking place in person, Kulkarni said. Remember that close contact for a prolonged period, about 15 minutes or more, can be risky, especially since there is the potential for asymptomatic individuals to spread the disease. He recommends considering a virtual get-together or pre-recording a special message to honor the day in place of an in-person get-together.
If there is a need to get together to help maintain mental health and wellness, Kulkarni said to be thoughtful on how to arrange this. He recommends maintaining a distance of 6 feet, wearing masks and being outdoors if possible. However, with outdoor events, he said to try for early morning or evening gatherings to avoid the heat. He recommends that everyone stay well hydrated, avoid excessive outdoor time, wear sunscreen and try to find a shaded area for the gathering.
As many states reopen various businesses, there may be a desire to celebrate dad at one of these locations. Your risk does increase as you frequent more populated businesses, Kulkarni said. He recommends being cautious of the environment you choose by researching how crowded the business is, how spaced out groups of people are and even what precautions employees are taking to protect customers.
It’s understandable that many grandparents are having a difficult time not being able to interact closely with their grandchildren, but Kulkarni said that at this time, current public health guidance is to avoid close contact for prolonged periods of time with persons who live outside the home. Older persons and those with chronic medical conditions remain at highest risk for more severe complications of COVID-19.
“As a dad and son myself, I very much relate and empathize with the difficulty,” he said.
He noted that we are in a similar place now to where we were in March and April, so we need to consider how to live in the safest way possible. As long as there is ongoing community spread of the virus, it is necessary to take precautions.
Kulkarni added that he is often asked about the risk of different activities outside of the home. He said that each person needs to determine their personal risk tolerance, evaluate the specific circumstances of the activity being considered, and plan accordingly. Activities with large groups of people in close proximity to one another without masks will be the highest risk. Activities that avoid all of these factors would be lower risk.