Spread Facts not Virus
MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH UPDATE
I’m a card-carrying grammar and spelling NERD, so last night when I realized after the fact that I misspelled “mnemonic” in my newsletter (goof: “pneumonic”), I yelped—and promptly forgot to floss before bed.
PNEUMONIC devices help people breathe. MNEMONIC devices are what got me through medical school. Remembering long lists of medication names was always more fun when pinned to a ridiculous string of words.
So just to REMIND YOU of yesterday's mnemonic device: it’s MOSH PIT.
Believe it or not, joining the metaphorical MOSH PIT will shut this virus down.
M = Masks
O = Outside spaces over inside when able
S = Social distancing
H = Handwashing and hygiene
P = Personal and Public responsibility
I = Information and facts
T = Talk to your doctor
One element alone is not enough; we need ALL OF THEM together to tame this beast.
Pictured here is my son Henry, now 18, rocking out to live music at my mom’s birthday bash in 2015. This moment from the past reminds me exactly WHY I’m joining the proverbial MOSH PIT now: to live in a world where once again we can dance, sweat, and let our hair down.
So why are these MOSH PIT mitigating measures so critical? Why is vigilance on all fronts more important than ever? Because the risk of COVID-19 will never be zero. And until we have a vaccine, our ONLY defense is behavioral. As states reopen and people move more freely about, if we don’t batten down the behavioral hatches, we’ll further delay any semblance of normalcy.
Here are some related FAQs from my patients this week:
Q: I’ve heard of a superspreader. It sounds really cool, do I want to be one?
A: No, it’s not cool at all. A superspreader is someone with at least eight transmissions of disease. And what’s worse is that superspreaders may not even have symptoms,so they have no idea they are one until it’s too late. Recall the early March (pre-lockdown) Skagit Valley church choir practice in Washington state. No one seemed ill at the time, and the singing that day was as vigorous as ever. When one singer fell ill after practice, he tested positive for COVID-19. But by the time he got the diagnosis, he had already passed the virus along. Subsequently, fifty-two of the other sixty choir members got sick—thirty-two with documented COVID-19.
Q: What makes someone a superspreader (as opposed to a second-rate spreader)?
A: Superspreaders are individuals who excrete more virus than the average person when they’re most infectious. Again, you have no way of knowing if this is you—so unless you want to gain notoriety for getting your inner circle, practice MOSH PIT.
Q: Where do most superspreader events occur?
A: Unfortunately, they happen at densely populated, indoor events like the choir practice above, and at parties, face-to-face professional networking events and meetings, religious gatherings, sporting events, meat-processing facilities, cruise ships, and funerals.
Q: Are we ever going to sing in the choir, gather at church, cheer for our team in the arena, and GO BACK TO SCHOOL?
A: YES. We will. And we need to. Our mental health depends on it. Social activities, school, and recreation are part of what make us human. Indeed I’m hearing every day from patients, friends, and family about the mental health toll of isolation, lack of structure, and ongoing fear. For kids, school is essential not only for learning but for their social and emotional health. And we need them to go back—but safely. The sooner we learn the rules of risk mitigation, the safer we’ll ALL be when kids are back where they belong, in classrooms, on sports fields, and with their friends. And the more that adults can model MOSH PIT behavior, the safer we’ll be for ourselves and each other—and the sooner we’ll be back into life. Just like the kids, grown-ups also need friends, fun, and freedom to be healthy. We’ll get there if we follow the rules and MOSH PIT together.
So remember, don’t be a super spreader, except when it comes to spreading the MOSH PIT mantra. Spread it far and wide! Hashtag it, laminate it, share it with friends! Let’s mitigate risk because it’s all we’ve got (for now).
I’ll be back tomorrow to discuss more about R0 (aka R “naught”), hope for a vaccine, and how to make decisions and get back into life. Until then, be well.
P.S. See today’s conversation and news update with BBC’s Katty Kay, now posted on my Instagram account.
P.P.S. Join me and teen psychologist Julie Baron, MSW, of Julie Baron and Associates on Facebook Live on TOMORROW at 3 pm EST to discuss the emotional challenges our teens are facing. Specifically we’ll discuss managing an unstructured life, navigating uncertainty, and resisting our culture of hyperfunctioning—now and in the future.