Safely Socializing In The Time Of 'Rona
Socializing with loved ones is important for mental health, but figuring out what guidance to follow so everyone involved feels safe can be tricky. Elaine Thompson/AP hide caption
Socializing with loved ones is important for mental health, but figuring out what guidance to follow so everyone involved feels safe can be tricky.
Elaine Thompson/APSocializing is critical for mental and emotional health. You need it. We need it. But what is the safest way to socialize during a pandemic? We propose a few rules-of-thumb and suggestions to see you through.
On today's show, Short Wave host Maddie Sofia and reporter Emily Kwong speak with public health experts about best practices for safely spending time with loved ones, conversational tips, and how to form your own "social pod" — whether you've been isolating at home or are an essential worker on the job.
The public health experts in this episode:
- Nahid Bhadelia, infectious disease specialist and medical director at Boston University School of Medicine
- Carlos Castillo-Salgado, medical epidemiologist and professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Julia Marcus, epidemiologist and professor at Harvard Medical School
Related Coverage:
- Regularly updated U.S. map of coronavirus outbreak data by state
- Yuki Noguchi's reporting about the pandemic exacerbating cancer patients' stress
- Julia Marcus's writing on the importance of "harm reduction" messaging during a public health crisis
From the Short Wave team to you and yours, happy safe socializing! Oh — and remember to keep washing those paws.
Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Rebecca Ramirez, edited by Viet Le and fact-checked by Emily Kwong.