Counter isolation with a COVID Pod
By: David Whitesock
Tags: Loneliness, Mental Health, Covid 19, Addiction, Isolation

Coronavirus is taking a mental and physical toll on us. We have been actively disconnecting from our physical social environments. This is necessary, but it is increasing our feeling of loneliness. As we move into winter and Coronavirus continues, isolation and loneliness will have serious short- and long-term effects.

Of course, loneliness can be challenging for anyone, but if you struggle with depression, addiction, or are elderly, it can have devastating consequences.

A safe solution to this problem, however, might be the formation of a COVID pod. According to public health experts, it is possible to bring together small groups of people in a safe way.

Read more: How to form a pandemic pod — Greater Good Science Center

Say you are in early recovery from addiction. 12-step meetings or other support groups were helpful but they are closed or are closing again. Video conference meetings are not the same. And you worry that not having the in-person engagement will threaten the hard work and improvements.

But maybe you have growing complications with childcare, work, and school? By creating a neighborhood pod, the burden of managing these challenging and shifting complications can be shared.

Experts suggest that with very careful and rigorous following of rules, a small group of friends or people in recovery could create a COVID pod.

Here’s how it works.

Small and trusting. You need to select a small group that has very high mutual trust with one another. The group should be no more than 6 people. Each should should have explicit trust in one another.

One way to ensure trust is for everyone to know and understand each other’s daily routine. Knowing how someone spends their day, where they spend it, and how much randomness is involved, can help assess the level of risk being introduced to the group.

For a COVID pod to work, all members are doing everything possible to lower risk so that the group can benefit from being together in-person.

Follow CDC guidelines and local rules. Everyone must limit public exposure, but if you go out, you must wear a mask and practice physical distancing. You must also follow all local and state regulations and mandates. Know the rules and follow them.

If anyone becomes ill or senses symptoms, that person should quarantine and forego any contact with the group.

And if anyone has been exposed, all CDC guidelines should be followed.

Test if possible. Getting a test is still a challenge in some places. But if it’s possible for everyone in the group to get tested, test first and bring the group together only after everyone is negative.

If possible do repeat tests.

Maintain group rules and journal. Create a shared note or document. Allow everyone to document their day, including exposure to large groups and how you feel. This document could be important for contact tracing or to help each other avoid any unnecessary risk.

This shared journal can also be a place to document the rules and principles the pod will follow. Write them down and make them clear. And be sure to include rules for removing a group member and what happens if someone has been exposed or tests positive.

If you are elderly, in recovery, remember why you are creating this group. You know that isolation and loneliness will have harmful effects on your health and wellbeing.

Know and accept that you entering into a social pact. This pact demands rigorous adherence; or for the 12-steppers out there … an opportunity to practice “rigorous honesty”.

We really do need social connection. Technology has allowed us to stay connected in many new ways, but it has increased individualism and separation. We do best when we have small, strong social ties. COVID can be an opportunity to chose those ties with intention and meaning with lifelong connection.