It’s been more than a month now since Grand Valley State University made the decision to convert to remote teaching because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Living through a lockdown has been an experience for all of us with a definite learning curve. Meadows Crossing would like to remind our residents to continue to make good decisions. We will get through this, but in the meantime, don’t take chances and be smart about taking care of yourself.
While many of our residents did decide to return home during the outbreak, almost 40% have remained with us for the duration. We have been proud of their generosity and the ways that they have coped and helped each other. We also have been lucky that we haven’t had reports of coronavirus here. Still, it’s wise to stick with the CDC’s recommendations about how to protect yourself.
CDC Recommendations for Coronavirus Prevention
The CDC recommends that people not expose themselves to the virus in as much as that is possible. This means remaining at home and respecting Gov. Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” quarantine order. The virus is thought to be spread by droplet transmission that lingers in the air and on surfaces. This is why it’s best to avoid contact with others and to stay at a 6-foot distance if you need to go out to work or buy groceries. They also recommend:
- Washing your hands often, especially if you have been in a public place or after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose. Hand sanitizer can also be used if hand washing is not a convenient option.
- Avoiding touching your face. This is a hard one for most people because we all have a habit of touching our faces without even being aware of it. Some people have come up with ingenious ways to try to train the brain out of this including one company that has created a bracelet that vibrates if you touch your face.
- Covering your mouth and nose with a cloth face covering if you are out in public. Many people who don’t show symptoms still have the coronavirus and can pass it to others. While cloth face masks are not 100% effective in preventing the transmission, they do have an impact.
- Covering your face if you do cough or sneeze. Follow that up with washing your hands with soap again.
- Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces like keyboards, doorknobs, and counters on a daily basis. Get out the soap and water and the disinfectant.
Of course, there are other habits that will help you get through the coronavirus in good shape like eating right, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and maintaining good hygiene. If you stay the course and follow these recommendations, it’s more likely that you will not get sick or that you will be in good condition to fight off the virus if you are exposed to it.
Meadows Crossing is doing our part during the pandemic to make sure that our townhomes are in good condition and that safety guidelines are followed during the upcoming move in/move out period. We have closed common areas like our fitness center, spa, and study center temporarily. We are preparing to disinfect any vacated rooms and townhomes with hospital grade disinfectant so that new residents can move in with their minds at ease.
While we have had office closures due to concern for our staff, during the day there is always one person in the office to take care of problems or emergencies that crop up for our residents. We are available via chat as well and have been providing continuous service, including emergency maintenance requests. If you have a question or concern, do not hesitate to call us. We are here for you.
Be smart, and be safe. We will make it through this and be stronger for the lessons we have learned about health and community.
