Tested negative twice for covid

@ihatediabetes, I'm glad that you are feeling less afraid and that you continue to live life and follow safe practices, like diligent and frequent handwashing, sanitizing and physical distancing. Facemasks help when staying 6 feet apart is a challenge. Your facemask helps prevent you from spreading germs. So for facemasks to work, everyone needs to wear them. It sounds like you are participating in activities where everyone is being prudent and following public health guidelines.

Yes I feel that I am being prudent and following public health guidelines. So I actually don't understand why people are afraid to go out. It's hard to be cooped up at home too. I am taking my son with disability to the local indoor trampoline park too for exercise and to be with people. When you come in the building they take your temperature. But then the people are jumping without masks. I started jumping too for exercise and to work on my balance. Mental health is important too. I don't agree with people going to bars and beaches without masks. That's crazy. But I do think we need to live. My son was so unhappy with his day program shut down. Then Special Olympics shut down and all outings stopped. I think the government and health care people should be teaching people how to live safely but not keep everyone cooped up at home. This is really challenging for mental health. My parents are elderly and this has been really really hard on them. Just sayin'.

@ihatediabetes.. I agree with you that mental health is important, so is physical health. Personally, I would not go into any places where people do not wear masks. That's my choice to stay safe. It's been proven that there are people with the virus who show no symptoms and they are just as contagious as those in hospitals, so I'm not taking any unnecessary risk. Also the rate of infection among young people under 18 has spiked. I feel badly that young people are not as free to do whatever they want, but know that if they get the virus, they can bring home to their parents and grandparents. I don't like being cooped up either, and I do make well planned trips to grocery stores once in a few weeks, taking all the precautions simply because I don't want to end up with the virus.

@ihatediabetes While I believe that wearing masks, distancing and handwashing are important for everyones' safety, this pandemic is far from over. If I remember correctly, you live in the Twin Cities, which is still a high-infection area. I would think twice, three times, four times before going to any indoor facility like a trampoline park where masks are not worn. We are learning more every day about droplet transmission, asymptomatic transmission, and the ability of the virus to survive in indoor air for longer periods of time. Being at the beach or on a walking/biking path outdoors without a mask would be far safer.
Also, please think about what would happen to your disabled son should either of you get infected and have to quarantine, or worse yet be hospitalized with no visitors allowed.
We have been ultra-cautious, to the extent that we are isolating for 2 weeks because last weekend, on a short trip, we went out to eat twice, once outdoors & once in, in very well-run, distanced settings, with everyone masked except while eating, but it still felt risky enough that we are not exposing our anyone to us...
Sue

Hi, this is a photo I took of the trampoline park. The ceilings are really high. It's basically a warehouse sized building. Plus it's not easy to get close to anyone because you would bounce into them. So people naturally keep a distance. I also learned that trampoline is excellent exercise. So I am doing it myself. It's great for lymphatic system to bounce up and down against gravity. I have been practicing my balance and running across the trampolines. I accidentally don't think I can be 100% safe from Coronavirus. I thought we were just supposed to bend the curve. I thought we were supposed to slow down the infection rate so the hospitals don't get overwhelmed. My husband is also essential worker so I figure if he because positive that I would be positive and quarantined too. Then my son was so unhappy being cooped up. He can't understand why so he's really suffering. I feel like I have to live and hope for the best.

Following hand washing, mask wearing and distancing protocols are really important. How we continue to live with COVID is a personal calculation that each of us has to make. @ihatediabetes, I can understand your search for finding activities that give your son a sense of normal, especially given the impossibility of his understanding of what is going on. With William's Syndrom, he loves to be social, engaged and going out. How have the activities at his home adapted?

The day program started using zoom so my son can sign on several times a day from a laptop. But that's not the same thing as meeting at the day program and going to outings and work programs. So he is mostly sitting at home. That's one reason why I thought the trampoline park would be good for him. It's also good for me for exercise. I have been exhausted from jumping and running across the trampolines and dividers. I do think it would be helpful for people to get mini trampolines with a handle for home use. I have been reading about how rebounding is the best exercise for lymphatic system. So I decided that it's worth the risk to go to the trampoline park. But I don't think I take unnecessary risks.