With everything that’s going on surrounding the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the fear and concern is bringing even more confusion to this challenge. So many people are left asking:

What can I do to stay well? 

How do I avoid unnecessary exposure in a coliving environment? 

These are important questions that deserve a professional’s response.

In this piece, the team here at Kndrd decided to reach out to our good friend, Naomi Walski. She has a Masters in Public Health (MPH) and Environmental Health. She is currently an Industrial Hygienist at the County of San Diego.

Naomi was kind enough to jump in and share best practices during this time, which are also helpful for the common cold and flu that so many still face.

Keep in mind that coliving isn’t such a downfall amidst outbreaks like this. With the ubiquitous canceling of events, vacation travel events, and work relocation, the flexibility of coliving lends itself valuably to the need for people to extend their accommodations last-minute to stay in their city when travel plans have been nixed. 

Also, for those that live alone and now have to work remotely or avoid much social contact, living in community during a rough time might prove to be more appealing.

The Bad News

COVID-19 is a novel virus with much still unknown, and unfortunately, the number of new cases continues to rise for the time being. 

The Good News

There is great value in what can be done both individually and as a coliving team to reduce the risk of infection in a coliving environment. Your efforts to reduce your risk may only be as good as the people in your circle, so all the more important to look out for your Coliving family as well as yourself. 

The Power of Perspective

While in the thick of new cases reported, maintaining a sense of perspective is also key. By the numbers, the number of flu-related deaths each year far outweigh what we’ve seen from COVID-19 thus far.

As with the flu, there are certain groups within the community that tend to be more vulnerable. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) identifies older adults and those with serious chronic health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease. As more data becomes available, it is possible that the vulnerable groups will expand to include those who are immunocompromised, pregnant and children under five years of age. To put things in perspective, if you are not in any of these groups or spend time with anyone who is, you can expect your risk of becoming a complicated COVID-19 case to be reduced. 

What if we had a vaccine? And if we did have a vaccine...nothing is perfect. Do what you can to reduce your own risk and that of others when it comes to COVID-19. Proper and frequent handwashing will go a long way.

Bonus: Most strategies or tips discussed here may also reduce the risk of other more common bugs such as the pesky common cold and flu viruses.  

What can I do to stay well?

Western medicine has us conditioned to believe that there will be a single prescription tablet, or a less than delicious tonic that will magically cure any infection. We have been conditioned to expect a single “magic bullet” cure while neglecting some of the most basic necessities: quality sleep, whole nutrition and overall wellness. These truly cannot be emphasized enough as priorities, especially with the current public health challenge. If you expect your body to run efficiently, it needs quality fuel. If you expect your immune system to keep you well, you must allow for regular and good quality (not wine-induced) sleep. Sleep is your body’s repair time. 

Tips for Coliving Spaces

In larger Coliving spaces, reduce group sizes for gatherings and start/end all events with handwashing. 
In shared rooms, consider spacing beds several meters apart with consideration for the distance cough/sneeze droplets travel (cough droplets ~6 meters, sneeze droplets ~8 meters) and organizing in an alternating head to foot sequence (head-to-toe sleeping) to reduce potential disease transmission and increase a person’s breathing zone. This practice is often seen in emergency shelters and with some military personnel living in close quarters. Visuals on potential arrangements can be found here.

If bathrooms are shared, keep shower/toiletry/toothbrush items away from shared spaces.
Consider designating a separate room or space as a temporary isolation area for those who might need it within the coliving space. 
Avoid prematurely stopping these coliving space measures. During the 1918 Flu pandemic, cities that lifted control measures just after the pandemic’s peak often experienced infection re-emergence. Out of an abundance of caution, implement controls early and continue longer than you think needed.  

As of now, quarantine periods are set at 14 days, but extending may be beneficial. What we know about this bug might evolve along the way. 

How do I avoid unnecessary exposure in a coliving environment?

Reduce Travel-Related Exposures

• Consider collaborating on a house agreement related to travel, advance notice and including extended self-quarantine measures upon return. This may protect some while making others think twice about the necessity of the travel in relation to their responsibility to the group.
• Postpone or eliminate unnecessary travel. 
• Consider substituting someone local to attend an event/meeting who can ask questions for you and/or record the meeting in your absence.
  Conduct/opt for virtual meetings (e.g., Zoom, Skype, etc.)

Reduce Social Event Related Exposures

• Maintain safe distances of more than 2 meters (i.e., distance cough/sneeze droplets travel).
• Avoid crowded places/events, especially those that are not well ventilated (skip the indoor concerts for now).
• Opt to connect with friends and family for virtual catch-ups via online tools and apps (e.g., Skype, FaceTime, Marco Polo, WeChat, etc.)
• For group activities & games, consider virtual trivia or video challenges where housemates can use their own phones to participate and eliminate the need for hand contact, close proximity or disinfecting game pieces.

Respiratory Protection

• As for wearing respirators (commonly referred to as masks), most people have not been medically evaluated, properly fitted, are not clean shaven and select the wrong respirator for the situation which renders a false sense of protection. 
• Respirators over beards and most facial hair will not allow for a protective seal. Masks are more suited for those who are already ill so they can help prevent others from picking up their cough and sneeze droplets. 

More Risk Reduction Strategies

General Housekeeping

• Assess current housekeeping activities, cleaning frequency and training of cleaning staff related to Coronavirus and COVID-19.
• Consider developing a standardized protocol for cleaning/sanitizing all coliving spaces including specifications related to approved sanitizing agents, appropriate use. One of the greatest mistakes when it comes to disinfection and housekeeping in general is meeting the required contact time between the disinfectant and the surface being cleaned (e.g., Clorox wipes requires three minutes of contact time, fully wet). 
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a list of antimicrobial products for use against the virus. A few are included below. Again, it’s worth mentioning that most surfaces need to remain wet with the disinfectant for a period of time to be effective. Refer to the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and use according to manufacturer's instructions. 
• Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
• Clorox Commercial Solutions® Disinfecting Spray
• Lysol Heavy-Duty Cleaner Disinfectant Concentrate
• Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist
• Purell Professional Surface Disinfectant Wipes
• Sani-Prime Germicidal Spray

Full list available here. 

Note: Effective handwashing with soap and water is still the most effective way to prevent transmitting of the virus. More info on cleaning and disinfection here.

Technology

• Items such as laptops, touch screens, cell phones, cell phone cases, door handles, and common work spaces are often overlooked (e.g., shared keyboards, tablets, meeting tables, etc.). Cell phones go everywhere we go, including the bathroom for many. And after the bathroom it may end up on the restaurant table during dinner. 
• Shared equipment in coliving spaces should be included in housekeeping protocols for disinfecting surfaces. 
• Consider investing in a PhoneSoap or UV disinfecting/sanitizing gadget and place in a visible, user-friendly spot within each coliving space. While it’s not yet proven to tackle this novel virus specifically, the company reported PhoneSoap kills Influenza A (H1N1) another type of enveloped virus. The technology is promising and reasonably priced as a proactive measure. 

If PhoneSoap or a similar device is not possible use a damp cloth with a small amount of dish soap, alcohol pads, or even hand sanitizer among others may do the job. More info on cleaning up your tech here and don’t forget your keyboards.  

House/Community Pact: 

While this may be easier to accomplish within a smaller coliving space than in a larger group; the value may be more than worth the time and effort. Consider creating collaborative task lists and control measures for each coliving space. 

Task lists and control measures should be comprised of responsibilities at both the individual and group level, should be signed and committed to by all coliving participants and implemented for the duration of the infection risk. 

The pact would be subject to updating when needed based on emerging data (e.g., AM and PM daily temperature checks using individual digital or infrared thermometers (individual or one per shared room) and have temperatures reported to a designated health and safety person (6-person space) or health and safety committee (100-person space), protocols such as mandatory 2+-week self-isolation and abstaining from social house events for any housemate with temperatures in excess of  ___ (e.g., a fever can be anything above normal 98.6 F (37 C); however, keep in mind some people can run slightly higher or lower than the definition of “normal”, so best to consult up-to-date COVID-19 data on related fevers and decide the most protective fever cut-off for the sake of the group). 

If housekeeping is a shared responsibility, it may be beneficial to do a standardized 'Healthy Coliving' training/activity as not everyone cleans the same way and a few may need a little guidance. 

Rules and agreements may vary slightly due to house dynamics, but should share the same core control measures such as temperature checks, cut-offs and protocols for self-isolation if elevated temperatures detected, and travel notifications to housemates with a return-to-house protocol for quarantine. Having coliving participants contribute to and sign the pact may increase buy-in and achieve better compliance rates while reducing overall risks.

A special thank you to Naomi Walski for these tips.

Stay healthy and happy out there!

We're sending healing love and support to you.

Kndrd: Technology to facilitate the living in CoLiving 💜