WHAT WE’RE DOING NOW
Asking most people to stay home and putting our economy on life support to prevent our healthcare system from being overwhelmed. We are slowing the spread.
FACING A TOUGH CHOICE
THE BEST CHOICE
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO TURN THIS AROUND:
Learn about the virus
Learn how we can end the pandemic
Share this with family and friends
KEY TAKEAWAY
An infected person can be spreading the Covid-19 to others for 14 days before they develop symptoms and realize they are infectious. Worse, some recover without any symptoms and never realize they were infecting others. This “stealth period” is why the Covid-19 took us by surprise. Some individuals have been documented to infect over 70 others.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Anyone, including you, could be quietly carrying the virus and spreading it
Within 14 days after a person is infected, they will start feeling sick or recover with no symptoms. After another 14 days, those who are sick will recover or be in the hospital where they can be isolated.
If everyone isolates at the same time and lets the 30-day clock run out, the virus won’t have the opportunity to jump to another person and start the clock over again.
KEY TAKEAWAY
KEY TAKEAWAY
These guidelines are intended to improve on what parts of the country are already doing to eliminate the COVID-19 virus instead of just slowing the spread. They can be tailored and refined by each
community based on their particular circumstances and resources.
SPECIFICS
ESTABLISH A SINGLE POINT OF INFORMATION TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION TO THE PUBLIC
For this to work, everyone needs to be on the same page including knowing what actions to take, issuing progress reports, and providing contact information for where to go and who to call when needs arise, including if someone in the household requires medical attention.
A SHELTER-IN-PLACE MANDATE THAT LASTS FOR AT LEAST 30 DAYS
People would not be allowed to leave their homes to visit other households. When leaving the house for exercise, pet-walking, re-stocking essentials, or emergencies, the following guidelines must be adhered to:
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- Thoroughly wash hands when leaving and returning home
- Wear a face mask that tightly covers the mouth and nose unless outdoors away from others
- Maintain at least a 10-foot distance from others not in their household
- Carry and wipe all surfaces they touch with a moist disinfectant wipe
- No exchange of items including cash with other households unless items are thoroughly wiped with disinfectant
- Only members of a single household in elevators at the same time. No talking. Same for hallways, stairways, and other enclosed spaces
The inconvenience of such careful measures are well worth it. The current inconsistent efforts some parts of the country are practicing now might be required for months or reinstated on-and-off for over a year because it won’t definitively end the spread of the virus.
CARING FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OR OTHERS NOT IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD
People may deliver essentials or check on others not in their household that require such care. This should be restricted to one person and the same person each time if possible. These trips should be kept at a minimal and the guidelines above for leaving the house must be adhered to.
ALLOW A ONE-WEEK PREPARATION PERIOD, BEFORE THE 30-DAY CLOCK STARTS
This would allow every household to get what they need to minimize leaving home for 30 days. Grocery stores and other merchants should place reasonable limits on purchases to prevent hoarding. Grocery stores can prepare to revamp their operations so customers can re-stock essentials during the 30 days with limited in-store foot traffic. This can be supplemented with phone or online advance orders and parking lot pickup arrangements that maintain a 10-foot distance. Cash and other items exchanged should be wiped with disinfectant by both parties. The government should make it clear that people will be able to get food and supplies, including by delivery and essential services will continue. Local governments can establish food and supply delivery centers for those in need, perhaps with the assistance of the National Guard. Businesses
that can function remotely via telecommuting can prepare accordingly.
CONTINUITY OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS
AND ESTABLISH “CLUSTER” HOUSING
This is an extension of what many hospitals in hot spots are currently doing. This would apply to healthcare providers, police, fire, EMS, food services and grocery delivery, phone and internet, utilities, supply chain and shipping, critical manufacturing, food processing, plumbing repairs, banking and other services deemed necessary by federal and local government. Isolate personnel in their own clusters for the virus to die out without the risk of them cross-infecting their families when they return home. Empty hotels, corporate cafeterias, and gyms outfitted with cots, and other facilities could be used for this function. Essential services might be augmented with the help of the National Guard or military personnel also housed in similar arrangements.
EXTREME SOCIAL DISTANCING FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES PERSONNEL
These personnel should wear masks and, when possible, stay at least ten feet away from each other. When working with the public, the same precautions apply as those the public takes when leaving their home including disinfecting items that they deliver.
ESTABLISH RECOVERY HOUSING
During the 30-day period, individuals in households may develop symptoms indicating an active infection. These individuals should immediately be moved to quarantine housing to recover and prevent infecting other household members. Again, empty hotels could be used. In the case where a child is sick, they can be accompanied by a parent. These quarantine facilities should have ready access to medical support and basic needs such as meals and laundry. Continue to isolate households with active infections after the 30-day period until fully recovered.
In the event that cases do not go completely to zero, this protocol will dramatically reduce the number of undetected cases to the point where a contact tracing strategy will become practical and effective in containing further outbreaks.
Once our nation is cleared, inbound travel from affected countries can resume under the conditions that the traveler test negative for the virus prior to travel or tests positive for immunity based on sufficient antibody levels. Travelers may be subject to quarantine upon arrival and/or retesting. Outbound international travel to affected countries may also resume for those that test positive for immunity with no restrictions and for all when a vaccine is available.
We will be in a better position as a recovered nation to support mitigation and relief efforts in other parts of the world as a crucial next step to end the pandemic globally
The advantages of a Flatten to Zero protocol is that it doesn’t rely on unknowns about the virus, is the most efficient use of the limited resources we have at the moment, and solves the problem in the shortest amount of time possible with minimum damage to the economy.
KEY TAKEAWAY
The alternative could be months or
over a year of what we’re doing now,
or worse