Coronavirus & Social Distancing

Please, mamas & papas & caregivers, help #flattenthecurve …

In the US, we are on a trajectory to double COVID-19 cases every 2-5 days. At this pace, patients with serious illness requiring ICU beds will quickly outnumber availability, placing us in the same heart-wrenching situation that Italy & China have faced, in choosing which patients receive live-saving support based on likelihood to survive.

I am NOT telling you this to instill fear, although I know that for many of you, like me, your heart skipped a beat thinking about this.

I AM telling you this because WE, as parents, have the POWER to SLOW this trajectory and #FLATTENTHECURVE.

Knowledge IS power.

80% or more people with COVID-19 will have mild illness. The vast majority of children have very mild symptoms, or NO symptoms at all. While we can breathe a sigh of relief that our kids seem relatively protected – THAT is one of the biggest problems in containing & mitigating this pandemic.

Our kids may be one of the biggest vectors in unwittingly spreading Coronavirus to vulnerable populations.

So please: NO playdates, parties, sleepovers, or gatherings with families/friends.

At least for the next couple of weeks. Slowing the rate of infection even by that much can make a huge difference.

So be kind to yourself if your child is watching a little more TV than you’d like. Kenzi, Bodi & I mapped out our mutually acceptable movies for each night. Dust off those board games that have been sitting on your shelves. We have a half-finished game of Monopoly waiting for us tomorrow. Finally get your child potty-trained. Read all 7 Harry Potter books together. Teach your kids how to fold their clothes and Marie Kondo their drawers. Have a smoothie-making contest. Explore all the local trails you’ve been meaning to for years.

And most importantly, focus on the POSITIVE that social distancing brings. You GET to spend all of this amazing time together as a family, on an adventure to make the most of each day. Your kids GET to do their part to keep their grandparents safe & their communities healthy.

We are all in this together. I am so honored to be on this journey with you.

xo Holistic mama doc – Elisa Song, MD💕

P.S. To help you further separate out facts from fear, please read and share my article: Coronavirus: What a Pediatrician Wants You to Know