Dear friends, neighbors, patients, and fellow New Yorkers,
I hope that everyone is feeling well. Like people around the world, Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to be top of mind for us. Personally, I’ve been actively reading updates from the CDC, New York Times, and other sources as well as keeping in touch with medical doctor friends of mine.
Based on the information available so far and out of an abundance of caution, we started meeting with patients by phone or video conference last week. While I’m not particularly worried about folks getting infected in the office, I am concerned more about our collective use of public transportation, which could unduly expose us to the virus. To reduce the spread of the disease, some specialists have been recommending the practice of social distancing—being 6 feet away from others and avoiding large groups of people—neither of which we can maintain on the subway, bus, or train. Accordingly, we will be meeting with our patients virtually until the end of the month. Of course, this might change as we get further information about the spread of the virus and official recommendations. You can expect to hear directly from your therapist about the specific meeting arrangements.
In addition, we will be regularly providing public information about how to address the psychological issues that arise during this stressful time. In fact, tomorrow, Monday, March 16th at from 4 – 5:30 pm, I will be participating in a free webinar with several amazing colleagues:
In the Midst of Rapid Fire Change and Social Distancing: Resilience, Coping, and Parenting Strategies for Everyone
You can watch the live webinar at the following site: https://myocdcare.com/coping/
Finally, as a reminder (for perhaps the umpteenth time), the CDC recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses:
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and/or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Be sure to pay attention to the spaces around the nails and between fingers.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing. Discard tissue immediately.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
We’ll provide more updates, advice, and support in the future. In the meantime, stay healthy and remember that we’re all in this together.
Warmly,
Jonathan
P.S. In case you’re interested in what I’ve been reading, check out these articles:
https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-cancel-everything/607675/
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html