The US is at the start of our second wave of high COVID infections. This list, put together by @joshtpm, has helped me maintain a steady source of reliable information that’s helped me make better informed choices around risk assessment.

https://twitter.com/i/lists/1233998285779632128

I strongly recommend following that list if you live in the US. The information on it is clear and scientifically minded, and I’ve noticed it’s often several days ahead of other news outlets in terms of sharing not only new research but suggested best practice.

People have pointed out that the failure of the US at managing COVID is largely a political and government one, aided by national lack of infrastructure set in place for social services. This is very true, especially on a federal level. But there is a “yes, and” here.

You, as an individual, have a direct role in participating and stewarding the collective health of your personal networks. This isn’t a broad idea, it’s just a literal, logistical fact.

Whoever you see in person, in whatever capacity, creates a possible node of infection and spread. After that, there’s a HUGE spectrum of risk assessment that can cover a lot of options for best practices in socializing, as well as assessing need for stricter isolation.

Our best tools for managing individual responsibility in the face of a dire lack of infrastructure or leadership is to stay informed with reputable sources, root out cognitive dissonance, use resources at hand, and use a shared vocabulary around terminology in our networks.

In addition to the list in the first tweet in this thread, I often use this risk calculator as a supplemental tool in assessing my own social engagements. (NB: While programmed with real time updates in information, this is not a peer reviewed tool.) https://www.microcovid.org 

I need to turn my laundry over but I’ll be back to talk about how I personally synthesize all of these resources to structure my social engagements, and also talk about how I respond when I see bad practice or cognitive dissonance around COVID safety in my networks.