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Merit Family,
As the economy reopens across the U.S., many people
have taken this as a sign that COVID-19 precautions-such as wearing a face covering, handwashing, social distancing, and avoiding unnecessary travel-are no longer needed. I want to reiterate that now is the time to continue applying these measures. This week's
newsletter will address emerging information about some of these precautions to help you better implement them into your daily lives.
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Wearing a face covering in public places and when in
close proximity to others is one of the most important precautions we can all take to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Throughout the past few months, I understand there have been inconsistent recommendations from health organizations regarding face coverings,
and this may have caused confusion. However, it's important to remember that the information we have about COVID-19 and how it spreads is always evolving, and we must be ready to act accordingly when new information and/or recommendations arise.
That being said, both national and global health organizations
are now in consensus: Wearing a face covering is an important step in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
According to
research
published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, regions with an early interest in face coverings experienced milder COVID-19 epidemics.1
Another study
published in Health Affairs
showed that when certain U.S. states mandated the use of face coverings, it was associated with a decline in daily COVID-19 growth rates.2
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Several nations throughout Europe and Asia as well as
most states within the U.S. now require wearing a face covering when in public places. Familiarizing yourself with which countries and states have and haven't mandated wearing a face covering will help you understand your risk of COVID-19 infection if you
live in a region that doesn't require face coverings or if you need to travel outside your community.
Here's a list of
countries
and U.S.
states that require a face covering. Whether or
not a place requires a face covering, please remember that by wearing one you can help slow the spread of COVID-19.
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Although it's not recommended to engage in unnecessary
travel, if you decide to travel outside of your community, it's also important to familiarize yourself with any country or state travel recommendations and/or arrival restrictions. Here's a list of travel recommendations and restrictions
by
country as well as
U.S.
state-by-state restrictions.
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These changes in travel recommendations and restrictions
reflect what we now know about coronavirus transmission. Even though the majority of citizens may experience mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, we must continue to follow general COVID-19 precautions as well as changes in local policy to protect others,
especially the elderly and individuals who may have underlying conditions that increase the risk of COVID-19 infection.
Please remember that no matter where you travel,
along with wearing a face covering, it's important to also social distance and practice frequent handwashing.
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HEALTHY RECIPE OF THE WEEK
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To help you get through the summer in a COVID-19-friendly
way, each week I'll post a new seasonal healthy recipe to try. This week?
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Cowboy Caviar
This is the perfect, easy-to-make, healthy dish for
backyard BBQs and picnics! Filled with nutritious beans and veggies, Cowboy Caviar will be your new go-to summer side dish.
Find the full recipe
here.
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It seems like every day (COVID-19 or no) we're bombarded
with frightening and worrisome news. But the truth of the matter is, good things are happening all around us-we just have to look..
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This week's Silver Lining Story comes to us from Pasadena,
California, where husband and wife Beong-Soo Kim and Bonnie Wongtrakool have been playing free, hour-long (social distancing-friendly) porch concerts for their neighbors every week since the stay-at-home order went into effect on March 19.
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"I think that through this period, something like this has given us the opportunity to know way more of our
neighbors, and to get to know our community," said Laura Fleming, one of Beong-Soo's and Bonnie's neighbors. "And it's bringing our community ever closer together."
Watch an interview with the couple and listen to them perform
here.
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UPDATE ON COVID-19 AT MERIT
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We've now identified 49 cases of COVID-19 among the Merit family of approximately 6,100 (34 in the United States,
one in France, two in Ireland, one in The Netherlands, and 11 in Mexico). Employees are recovering at home or at the hospital. Many employees who have recovered have returned to work.
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All facilities have implemented stringent COVID-19 protection measures to prevent any spread of the virus among
Merit employees.
Please visit the Merit Metro (for employees who have Merit email addresses) or
www.merit.com/covid-19-response-resource-page/ for the most updated information on Merit and COVID-19.
Please stay safe. Please stay positive (and keep smiling from 6 feet). I look forward to sharing more information
with you soon.
Regards,
Dr. Nicole Priest, MD
Merit Medical Chief Wellness Officer
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This communication is for internal distribution only. You may discuss appropriate content of the communication
with individuals outside of Merit, but may not distribute the communication itself to individuals outside of Merit.
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