coronavirus - We Like These.com

November 21, 2020

No Santa This Christmas………… That’s What You Think!

Ho ho … hum: Santa to take video calls as lockdown keeps grottos closed

Covid 19 Santa Claus IS coming

With restrictions in place across the UK, Santa is making use of technology to reach children this Christmas

Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage

Christmas hasn’t been cancelled yet but meeting Santa and his little helpers is going to look different for a lot of people this year, with video calls that take children to the north pole replacing many visits to local grottos.

Socially distanced events are still planned in some event spaces in England, although they will only be able to take place once the national lockdown has lifted, as businesses pivot to deal with coronavirus restrictions.

I’m an epidemiologist. Here are 5 things you should do right now to ride the wave of new COVID cases and prepare for the long winter.

You could safely merge social bubbles.

Juanmonino/Getty Images

Dr. Syra Madad is an infectious diseases epidemiologist in NYC. She’s senior director of NYC Health + Hospitals System-wide Special Pathogens Program and fellow for the Harvard Kennedy School, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. The COVID-19 epidemic is making a turn for the worse in the US — and cold weather is on the horizon. Madad recommends forming small social bubbles now, and getting an emergency kit prepared. Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

The United States COVID-19 epidemic is taking a turn for the worse yet again.

We don’t have just one pandemic, we have 50 epidemics playing out differently in each of the 50 US states. Key benchmarks to gauge the epidemic’s footing in a given state are all trending towards alarming levels of viral spread — including growing daily new COVID-19 infections in 48 states, with increasing positivity rate in over 30 states, increased hospitalizations in 39 states, and expanding epidemics with an Rt value of over 1.0 in 40 states. Needless to say, this may be the most challenging and dangerous peak in US COVID-19 history.

This insidious rise in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is occurring amid a precarious mix of factors that will further increase the risk of viral spread.

Colder temperatures are affecting both the virus itself, in addition to driving more people indoors — thus increasing the potential for transmission. Holiday season is making more people want to travel, mingle, and gather. There’s pandemic fatigue – the rising sense of apathy, exhaustion, and impatience from the daily preventative measures. And, to top it all off, a forthcoming flu season.

Here are five things I’m doing to ride the wave:

1. Staying connected with family, friends, and loved ones

Let’s face it, we all need human interaction. Now is the time to begin thinking who you want in your social bubble. A social bubble is non-household contact(s) that can freely interact with one another indoors without social distancing or wearing a mask. I discuss in my recent article “How to celebrate Halloween with your kids while staying safe during COVID-19, according to an epidemiologist” how to safely merge social bubbles. Other ways to interact with people not in your social bubble is to keep the get-together outdoors, spaced out, and masks on.

2. Getting a home emergency kit ready

It’s always a good idea to keep essentials readily available in an at-home emergency kit. This is for all hazards – be it a hurricane, power outage, or an infectious disease outbreak which may necessitate you and your family hunkering down and limiting any out-of-the-home trips. Make a list of all household members and what their needs are, from a 30 day supply of medications, to diapers (I have a 9 month old and she requires more essential items than adults!) to non-perishable food and other supplies (please don’t buy all the toilet paper).

3. Staying informed

Staying informed about current events — including the rate of COVID-19 spread in your area and local public health guidance — will help you and your loved ones make informed decisions. If there’s high levels of community transmission occurring in your area, it’s best t-o limit contact with non-household members and choose activities with a lower risk of COVID19 transmission. There’s a lot of false information circulating; in my article “5 ways to determine if you’ve gotten accurate coronavirus information,” I cover how to evaluate your sources of information to ensure you’re receiving reliable, credible and science-based facts.

4. Keeping healthy

Our social, emotional, physical, and emotional well-being is very important. The COVID-19 health crisis is stressful, and is taking an enormous toll on our lives in more ways than one. Staying healthy is not only important for your general well-being, it can also help lower your risk of a severe outcome if you contract SARS-CoV-2.

But it’s also important to note that the risk of a severe outcome from COVID-19 is not uniform, and while older adults and those with underlying health conditions are at increased risk for developing more serious complications, illness and hospitalization, no one is immune. If you have uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes, there has never been athe better time to get it under control. Eat a healthy, nutritious diet, sleep well, exercise, and keep in touch with loved ones.

5. Not letting your COVID-19 guard down

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again (because that’s one of the tenets of good risk communication – repeating vital pieces of information that can lower risk and save lives). To prevent getting COVID-19 and spreading it to others, following the 4 W’s: wear a mask, watch your distance, wash your hands, and windows for ventilation. Prevention is our best approach — especially when the risk is a highly transmissible, and virulent disease.

Read the original article on Business Insider

30 Of The Best Coronavirus Quarantine Haircuts and Beauty Fails :-))

There’s a small handful of things you can treat yourself with. Scented candles, self-help books, home-made nachos, and rewatching every season of Girls are fine for a while. Until you stumble upon that pale figure staring back from the mirror. Chipped nails and undyed hair hint that the line has been crossed.

And sooner than you know it, your quarantined home turns into a DIY beauty salon. It charges nothing and covers all essential services from fake tan, manicure, and hair trimming. All executed by you—a professional rookie. Surprise surprise, a quarantine beauty fail accomplished! Bored Panda has compiled a list of the best lockdown beauty disasters that will either inspire or curb your enthusiasm for good.

I’m reluctant to call what my wife did to me a haircut. But here it is. Well done wife, another string to your bow

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What could go wrong having my first buzz cut with the boys at 11PM without checking how much battery the razor has left

Image credits: The-One-Icy-Kid

Giving yourself some time to focus on you and relax may be exactly what you need the most. You may not have a better opportunity to focus on yourself than the quarantined days any time soon. But before getting yourself into a full-blown home-made spa, you might wanna know some tips about basic beauty treatments.

If you feel like you need a hair trim, you’d better take some time off from cutting altogether. Stay focused on your hair health and consider adding conditioning masks or moisturizing treatments to your beauty routine. After the crisis is over, you will be stunned to see your luscious locks well-rested and ready to take on the summer look.

Another great tip is to try washing your hair less. Start slow—skip days at a time and see how your locks are feeling. There are natural oils on our scalp that boost hair health, but we usually wash them all off in daily shampooing sessions.

Quarantine self cut gone wrong…

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Quarantine + boredom + overconfidence = this monstrosity

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My kiddo cut his hair yesterday, then agreed to let me have a little fun with it before we fixed it.

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Another great tip is washing your hair less. Start slow—skip days at a time and see how your locks are feeling. There are natural oils on our scalp that boost hair health, but we usually wash them all off in daily shampooing sessions.

You can definitely try out a quarantine nail salon at home. But it’s better to stay away from gel or dip manicures altogether. A regular polish of your fave color is a great way to get that lively look. Try out colors that you usually don’t wear—quarantine is a judgement-free zone, and it’s an excellent time to experiment a little.

Today my partner learned that you shouldn’t put off a haircut until the apocalypse when the only person left to do it (we’re in NYC) is your girlfriend who has never even trimmed her own ends. He calls this look “Cambodian garbage Hitler.”

Image credits: NotedHeathen

Is anyone else struggling to adjust to their new at-home beauty routine? I accidentally burned my lip trying to wax yesterday… so painful. Tell me I’m not alone

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#10

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#11

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#12

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#13

These quarantine cuts are amazing

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#14

Don’t use your beard trimmer to cut your hair

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#15

Tried to cut my son’s hair during quarantine, now he’s gonna complain to the hotel manager

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#16

Our son’s hair was in desperate need of a haircut during quarantine. Husband and I took a wack at it. We had to stop before it got worse

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#17

My mom: “Don’t worry, I used to give haircuts all the time”

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#18

My buddy’s wife convinced him to let her cut his hair while in quarantine. The results speak for themselves

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#19

Uh oh, this looks weird. Maybe I should have googled how to give a haircut before jumping right in

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#20

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#21

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#22

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#23

I’m not a hairdresser. Corona forced me to be a hair dresser. This is why I am not and should not be a hairdresser. (I had my phone in my hand and it accidentally took a burst pic which captured the “what have I done” look on my face)