The ‘bubble concept’. Its a term used to describe a type of “social distancing strategy,” according to Romper. And it’s a strategy that has already been adopted by different countries like Canada and New Zealand.
As Dr. Gabriela Andujar Vazquez, an Infectious Disease Physician and Associate Hospital Epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center explained to Romper, the bubble concept is designed to “try to find a balance between physical safety and mental health.”
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So what is the bubble concept exactly?
Well, it is basically a way for people, especially people who live alone, to incorporate those they are closest to back into their lives safely even if stay-at-home orders and social distancing rules are still in effect. As New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, explained, your bubble is who you’ve been quarantining with.
However, in order to keep your personal “bubble” and others outside your bubble safe, everyone must be on board. Basically, you keep your own bubble and avoid mixing with other bubbles. “Both sides must agree — for better, for worse — to a mutually exclusive relationship. The decision applies to all members of both households. And it’s final,” the Washington Post reports.
“Ardern introduced helpful concepts, such as thinking of ‘the people [who] will be in your life consistently over this period of time” as your “bubble” and “acting as though you already have COVID-19’ towards those outside of your bubble,” The Atlantic reported. “She justified severe policies with practical examples: People needed to stay local because what if they drove off to some remote destination and their car broke down? She said she knows as a parent that it’s really hard to avoid playgrounds, but the virus can live on surfaces for 72 hours.”
According to Dr. Vazquez, “bubbles should not include more than ten people.”
And even when you identify the members of your bubble, all preventative measures must still apply. When you are out in public, wear masks, and stay six feet away from the person not in your bubble. And handwashing also remains a must.
However, as Dr. Niket Sonpal, a New York-based internist and gastroenterologist, admitted to Romper, “the concern with bubbles [is] if it one person gets sick, it may affect the others.”
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While this practice may sound good in theory, and although some countries are already living by it, when it comes to the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet recommended the “bubble concept.” So when looking to follow the rules set in place by the CDC and the government, please refer to the CDC’s website for all guidelines relating to COVID-19.