Isolation, Quarantine, Social Distancing, Shelter-in-Place… what’s the story?

With the media almost entirely focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, many terms are being tossed around. Let’s see if we can break them down and get a handle on what they mean.

Aren’t isolation and quarantine the same thing? Nope… Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick. Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who may have been exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.

Isolation

People who have been infected with the virus may be asked to self-isolate at home if they have no symptoms or are only mildly ill. It’s important to call your health provider, in any case, if you develop symptoms. Those in isolation at home should keep away from other people as much as possible. The CDC recommends that you use a separate bathroom, if available, wear a face mask when around others, and don’t share household items.

If medical isolation is imposed, the infected person will be kept away from others in a hospital environment with those administering aide using PPE (Personal protective equipment is protective clothing, masks, helmets, goggles or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer’s body from infection.

Quarantine

Quarantine refers to the practice of confining individuals who have had close contact with the virus to determine whether they develop symptoms of the disease. Quarantine for COVID-19 should last for a period of 14 days. If symptoms develop during the 14-day period, the individual should be placed under medical isolation and evaluated for COVID-19. If symptoms do not develop, movement restrictions can be lifted.

Social / Physical Distancing

Social distancing, also referred to as physical distancing, is the practice of increasing the space between individuals and decreasing the frequency of contact to reduce the risk of spreading a disease (ideally to maintain at least 6 feet between all individuals, even those who are asymptomatic). Social distancing strategies can be applied on an individual level (e.g., avoiding physical contact), a group level (e.g., canceling group activities where individuals will be in close contact), and an operational level (e.g., rearranging chairs in the dining hall to increase distance between them).

Shelter in Place or Stay at Home

Until recently, the term “shelter in place” meant, for most people, an active shooter situation — stay where you are until the coast is clear. The term, also referred to as a Stay at Home Order, has taken on new meaning with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many states have recently ordered their citizens to “Shelter in Place” or “Stay at Home” and this is not a suggestion – it is mandatory. These people are required to stay inside. They can only go out for necessities such as food, gas or other essentials, or for medical reasons.

Essential businesses remain open, including health care facilities, pharmacies, grocery stores, banks, media and delivery services, among others.

Going outside for a walk or exercise is allowed, and even encouraged, but people are asked to keep their distance from others. It is, of course, critical to keep that distance of six feet between people when out and about.

I’m Losing My Mind

For many in recovery, any of the above measures mean losing vital support in the form of meeting with others in recovery. Many meeting places and support groups have shut down to comply with the new protocols. Adding to the already mandated isolation, this can cause many of us to feel antsy.

Most people in the world are feeling the pinch from job-insecurity, global financial market collapse and housing expenses. We face the real danger of contracting the virus, or being a carrier, especially if we live with the elderly or those who are at high-risk themselves.

The current state of affairs can be taxing on the healthiest person’s mental health. For those of us in recovery, this can be a real slippery slope. If we suffer from the “lonely disease” and suddenly find ourselves federally mandated to be alone, what are we to do? Luckily we live in the ‘internet age’ and technology has made it easier than ever for people to communicate and connect.

At Home Recovery Tool-Kit

Online Meetings

We have seen an explosion of online meetings since the onset of the virus. As more and more regions go into lock down, the corresponding recovery communities have been using Skype, Zoom and other platforms to bring the meetings into our living rooms. With only an internet connection, we can now dial into meetings all over the world. What a wonderful opportunity to meet and connect with people and hear stories from groups and individuals we would have normally never met! Here is a list of online meeting schedules. We will work to update this list as more information become available.

AA Intergroup Directory (international): http://aa-intergroup.org/directory.php
Skype Based Meetings (international): https://www.aaonlinemeeting.net/
LA Area Meetings: http://laaaonlinemeetings.org/
Australian Intergroup Online: http://aoig.oso-aa.org/
New York Online Meetings: https://www.nyintergroup.org/remote-meetings/list-of-remote-meetings-to-join/
AA Europe Online Meetings: https://alcoholics-anonymous.eu/online-meetings/
NZ Online Meetings: https://aa.org.nz/aa-meetings/online-meetings/
Bali Zoom Meetings: https://zoom.us/j/105729541?pwd=bk5YaEs0L01iRnlKeGh6QWRML091dz09
Melbourne Aus Zoom Meetings: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IaSuYqKsxgYfgrSlDMNkhPlIMHQ0AmT9_YHDTk3saN4
Global List (listed in UK time zone: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ppR8JE2J4NUt-7pgugvIp0qc653gFQzB/view?fbclid=IwAR24G-qNlm0mxHmEFtmXYy-zof-SGWPKMAplsz_LUBoIny1CSO_pPSa1ShI
Online NA Meetings from NA.org: https://www.na.org:443/meetingsearch/text-results.php?country=Web&state&city&zip&street&within=5&day=0&lang&orderby=distance
neveraloneclub.org NA meetings: https://www.neveraloneclub.org/

Online Fitness and Yoga

A great way to expel some pent up energy and anxiety is to get the blood flowing. The saying goes, “movement is medicine.” Here is a list of some of our favorite online resources:

Yoga With Adriene (A Lighthouse Favorite): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFKE7WVJfvaHW5q283SxchA
POPSUGAR Fitness: https://www.youtube.com/user/popsugartvfit
The Body Coach TV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ

Meditation and Wellness Courses

With the world in panic, the best thing we can do for ourselves is tend to our emotional and mental wellbeing. Let’s turn this calamity into an opportunity to go within, free of distractions from the outside world, and emerge more mindful, more peaceful, and more serene.

Deepak Chopra’s 21 Days Of Abundance Challenge: https://thejoywithin.org/authors/deepak-chopra/abundance-meditation-challenge
Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/
Guided Meditation on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWSrs5oeMZmlR?si=VqhgHSJzSQuejYPf-kNjjg
Morning Rituals with Natalia Benson: https://www.youtube.com/user/nataliaknoms
Gaby Bernstein “Be The Happiest Person You Know”: https://www.youtube.com/user/GabrielleBernstein
Qi Gong 10min at home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=566FRtbz_bw