Moving from “stay at home” to normal life in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic will be a tricky proposition, no matter which methodology is used.
But in the eyes of Froedtert and MCW Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Mary Beth Graham, it should happen in a multi-step approach and not all at one time, what some states are doing.
“I do think the staged approach is the best thing to do. Opening up restaurants at X capacity (for example),” said Graham on Wisconsin’s Afternoon News Monday, citing a personal example of how the populace is being inconvenienced – let along people who have lost jobs.
“I know how frustrating it is. I know my bangs are past the end of my nose, so I would really like to see my hairdresser…but it’s one of those things where my hope is what Governor Evers is saying he will watch the numbers throughout the rest of the month and determine ‘Can we start to reduce some of those restrictions?’ “
She says she understands that the current “safer-at-home” status can’t last forever, but the key for re-opening involves testing – particularly people who are asymptomatic – which is part of the danger, with an easily communicable virus spreading from people who have no idea they have it.
“The more we test, the more positive tests we’re going to find,” she said.
“At the top of the list should be asymptomatic. That’s what we’re actually running into with COVID-19. There are a large number of people who essentially have no symptoms at all. That is most concerning in terms of how transmissible (someone is) when totally asymptomatic.”