Slow COVID in Michigan in 3 Simple Steps

This post is sponsored by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Find the most current information on COVID in Michigan HERE.

This Year Has Been Hard

If we asked you to raise your hand if you’ve had to make some major changes this year, we bet every single person reading would have both hands up in the air. This year has been crazy hard! There’s no other way to describe the fear, disappointment, and loss we’ve all experienced while battling COVID-19. With 2020 drawing to a close we’d love to imagine COVID-19 magically vanishing with the ringing in of the new year. The fact of the matter is, though, that we still need to keep fighting. Even with the promise of a vaccine on the horizon, we can’t forget all the safety measures that have been put in place. Today we’re sharing about how COVID has affected our lives this year and 3 simple steps to slow COVID in Michigan.

Slow COVID in Michigan: How We’ve Been Affected

I didn’t get to say goodbye to my 8th grade students. We didn’t get to take our mom to Italy. I didn’t get to sing with Santa Fe Opera. We didn’t get to enjoy Leah’s wedding. This year has quite literally thrown us for a loop and smashed all of our plans to the ground. We’ve all had to learn to be flexible and live in the moment. We’ve had to learn to show love in ways other than hugs and kisses. It’s honestly hard to remember life before masks and fearing that a sore throat could mean being seriously ill. Now when we watch movies and someone walks inside our first thought is “why aren’t they wearing a mask?” We’ve literally had to change the way we do even the most routine tasks like go to the grocery store. We’ve also had to fight hard to convince our students and younger friends that we are NOT invincible to this virus. We as the younger generations can make a few simple changes to truly change the trajectory of COVID-19 in Michigan!

Spread Love Not COVID

Did you know that 40% of people that contract COVID-19 can be asymptomatic? That means almost 1 in every 2 people can be a carrier and could be infecting their friends and family without even knowing it! Having a parent that is at high risk has made us extra aware of this risk as we near the holidays. As teachers and musicians who are exposed to larger groups on a daily basis, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel our family gatherings. We couldn’t bear the thought of exposing our grandparents and loved ones and running the risk of losing years of holidays to come. THIS IS HARD. But wearing a mask and social distancing are still the right things to do-even if we’d rather be cuddled up baking Christmas cookies with our families.

Slow COVID In Michigan: 3 Simple Steps

Even though there’s still no cure for COVID-19 there are scientifically proven measures we can take to slow COVID in Michigan and help keep our friends and family safe! We’re sharing 3 simple changes you can make to add extra precaution this season.

• Wear a mask!
  • We’re going to beat this one to the ground but PLEASE wear a mask! No one is too strong, too cool, or too fashionable to wear a mask. Wearing a mask can reduce the spread of COVID by up to 70%! That could be hundreds…even thousands of lives saved by wearing a simple piece of fabric!
•  Know How to Ask for Help
  • If you think you might have COVID, don’t ignore your symptoms! Know who to contact to get tested and ask for help. In Michigan you can dial 2-1-1 from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday and press 1 to speak to someone who can help you find the nearest testing location.
• Download the MI COVID Alert App
  • The MI COVID Alert App is a free app that will alert you if you’ve been in close contact with someone else who has the app! Tens of thousands of people downloaded the app in the first few weeks of it’s launch! It will also alert your contacts if you think you might have COVID. The app doesn’t collect personal contact information so you don’t have to stress!

Slow COVID in Michigan: MI COVID Alert

The MI COVID Alert App is an innovative extra step that can protect the people you care more about! It updates you with possible exposures every 2 hours and works in the background of your phone using Bluetooth. Many states around the US have created similar apps to notify people about exposure and send out alerts if you’re sick! Even though the app can help protect yourself and others from COVID, it doesn’t replace traditional contact tracing and doesn’t mean you should stop wearing a mask! Keep washing your hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze, and stay home if you feel sick! Please feel free to email us or message us on Instagram with any questions or just to have a conversation about slowing the spread!   <img src='http://j.findyourinfluence.com/TrackRun.aspx?tcode=MzU5MzYtU3ByZWFkSG9wZU5vdENPVklELTE wMDc4LUMtMQ=='/>