Attachment

Chapter 4 Help people protect themselves right away <~?~Insert 018_Gate_9780593534489_art_r1> <~?~NO CAPTION FOR THIS ILLUSTRATION (Illustration showing the anxiety people encounter when meeting in person while social distancing.)> I'm confused about what to do when I meet someone these days. Should we bump fists, shake hands, or just smile and wave? Depending on the nature of our relationship, I might want a combined handshake-and-hug, particularly if we haven't seen each for months. And then there's the risk of misreading the signals, when one of us wants one thing but the other person thinks we want something else. Maybe one of us is inclined to hug, but the other would rather stay six feet away. It was hard enough to figure out before the pandemic, and it's even trickier now. Of course, navigating hellos and goodbyes is just one of the many ways that COVID complicated our social interactions. Should you stay home if you've been exposed? Who should wear a mask, and when? Is it okay to have a party, can it be indoors or outside, and how far apart do people need to stand? Should you wash your hands more often? What about large public gatherings and public transit--should they keep going? Can schools, offices, and retail businesses stay open?