Pushing back against a COVID-19 Winter
Opinion Article, December 2020
Pushing back against a COVID-19 Winter
by Health Plan of San Joaquin CEO Michael Schrader and Chief Medical Officer Lakshmi Dhanvanthari, MD
Our regional case and hospitalization rates for COVID 19 are once again on the rise. But Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) is pushing back on a COVID-19 winter.
Coronavirus doesn’t go away for the holidays. Neither do we! And, it turns out, neither do most of us!!
As the major nonprofit public health plan for San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, we are asking our provider networks, community partners and business/civic leaders – and our 350,000 members – to join with HPSJ to adopt and promote these safe behaviors throughout the holidays.
2020 has been a difficult year with restrictions, but we have come a long way. Through the end of October, because of the efforts of our community members, we were able to reduce the number of people sick, in the hospital and, so sadly, those who died from COVID-19. But now, even in our community, just like the rest of the country the virus is back, and people are sick in larger numbers.
On the brighter side, we understand the virus better, the emergence of vaccines is imminent, and we know how to keep everyone around us, especially those we love, safe from the virus – wear your mask, watch your distance and wash your hands.
HPSJ encourages you to celebrate the holidays in ways that keep your loved ones safe from COVID-19 and healthy during the festive season.
The safest, lowest risk way for ALL is to celebrate with only people with whom you live.
For relatively safe ways for everyone to celebrate, here are things that health and medical experts say we each can do for our own unique situations.
- Do not attend in person, and consider – Zoom, host a virtual meal, organize a drive by & wave, or an old-fashioned phone call, or safely prepare traditional dishes and deliver them, for anyone:
- Who feels sick and has COVID-19 symptoms – they should stay home
- Who is not showing symptoms but has recently spent time close to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and told to isolate for 14 days – they also should stay home
- At a high risk for serious illness from COVID-19, especially seniors 65 and over, and those with certain medical conditions (including cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, weakened immune system from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, Type 2 diabetes … or if you smoke)
- You can make it safer, if you are not sick and you are not at high risk for getting sick and are spending the holidays with people not living in your house:
- Have an outdoor event – a small group (no more than 3 separate households), a safe distance of at least 6-feet, separate servings of food and drink (use disposable plates and utensils), and use single serving condiments (such as ketchup and salad dressing)
If you must serve food family-style, have one person serve; also avoid having people go in and out of areas where food is being prepared or handled
If you must celebrate indoors, please keep your windows open
- Limit the time together to 2 hours or less
- Store your mask safely when eating
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and items between use
Travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others. If you do travel, get your FLU shot, always wear a mask in public and in public transportation, stay 6-feet apart, wash your hands frequently or use a hand sanitizer, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth and mask.
Whether physically near or far, we know how to continue the habits that KEEP protecting those we care about. It comes down to the best prevention we currently have, the (3) W’s – wear your mask, watch your distance and wash your hands. This is how we give the precious gift of holiday safety – and hope to be back to traditional celebrations in 2021.
This also is how we have it in our power to avert a COVID Winter. We have good reason to see light at the end of this tunnel. Just stick with it all, we say, and we will outsmart this coronavirus. And, as to that OTHER virus, the flu virus – get your flu shot!
Wishing you a safe Holiday Season! Give the gift of good health!
CEO Michael Schrader, CEO
Chief Medical Officer Lakshmi Dhanvanthari, MD
Health Plan of San Joaquin. www.hpsj.com/coronavirus/
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© Health Plan of San Joaquin, November 2020, permission to reprint in full, with attribution.