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6 Feet Apart? Or not?
Most of us here (at least those of us who chat here regularly) are old enough that we remember a time before cross-infection prevention guidelines and the 6-foot rule. I went to CF camp, carpooled to clinic with another CF family, had wheelchair races and Tae Bo parties with CF friends when we were hospitalized, and grew up in a home with sisters who have CF as well.
When cross-infection prevention guidelines and the 6-foot rule came into existence, we made some changes. Even my sister and I, as we got older and began to culture different bacteria, chose to be very careful in our interactions. I’ve occasionally met up with CF friends, masked and/or 6 feet apart, but have been quite diligent in keeping my CF specific “bugs” from others (and vice versa).
Last weekend, my sister came to town and we hugged: something we’ve rarely done in the last decade or so. Because Trikafta has changed both the kind and amount of bacteria growth for each of us (she’s had consistently clean cultures for a year), and maybe also because we’ve experienced such a hard year (thanks, COVID) we mutually decided to accept the risk involved with physical embrace.
As I was thinking about these guidelines and contemplating the choices my sister and I might make regarding this in the future, I came across a Facebook post that discussed “breaking the rules.” The comments ranged from I absolutely never break the rules to absolutely no *bleeps* given. Where do you fall?
How closely do you follow cross-infection prevention protocol? Are you an avid 6-feet-apart person, or do you choose to be more flexible? If you are a parent to children with CF, how important are these guidelines to you? I’d love to know your thoughts on this.
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