All we can do is our best to keep ourselves, and each other, safe.

My husband is a teacher, and the school has decided that he will teach in person and that the students will be grouped into 2 cohorts and will rotate 2 days live/2 days virtual. His classroom had markings on the floor where he can stand and his students sit (desks will not be moved), with multiple cameras and a TV screen at the back (so he can see the students at home) and front (so the students can see the other students?), plus 3 cameras: teacher, students, board. The school put in a lot of money to outfit these classrooms and create procedures that keep the faculty and students safe. He feels safe and is proud of what the school has put in place.

To keep us both healthy and safe, here are the protocols we have implemented (adapted from a friend’s wife, who is married to a nurse) for his arrival home (any grocery shopping, gas fill-ups, etc. are done on the way from school to home):

HIM: Walk in, go directly to the guest bathroom to strip and shower, putting all of his clothes and his cloth mask (the disposable liner will have been disposed of at school) into a sealed laundry basket or zip-top bag.

ME: (Wearing gloves and a mask) disinfect the outside back door handle, the inside door handles and anything else he may have touched on his way in. Once every few days (to be determined), I will collect the laundry bin or sealed bag and put it directly into the laundry, and disinfect the laundry basket with each load. Shoes will be kept in a covered bin that stays in the back hallway (sprayed with Lysol when possible).

He is tested at school twice a month. I have access to free testing through the city of Salem whenever I need or want it, so we will monitor our results.

I don’t know how long we will keep this up, or what changes we may need to make to it, but I thought I would share, in case anyone else is dealing with a similar situation. If you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments below.

Stay safe!