I created this infographic about 10 days ago and posted on social media. It is my best attempt to summarize key concerns about re-opening early.
References are below. No doubt more have been added since.
Although any of the references could be/have been updated, the essential message is clear: At this writing, not one US state has implemented all three measures–contact tracing, widespread testing, and isolation–to full effect. This lapse puts us all at risk, with unique concerns for close-contact work.
Please explore the tree for the important considerations along the way to–at least for the present time–the inevitable.
(A note about comments: Response to this has been overwhelming. If you disagree, I respectfully ask you to take your comments elsewhere. I won’t approve them here because I can’t keep up with them, debate further, or re-litigate. Instead, I refer you to prevailing messages we are getting from well-respected, credentialed experts in public health.)
LINKS from infographic:
(Video) Hayden, M., Werner, R., Thompson, D. A discussion on the potential changes coming due to Covid 19 to the massage/bodywork professions (April 20, 2020).
Cates, C. “Your governor is not a massage therapist.” April 21 blog post at Healwell,
Koplen, M. Massage therapy and coronavirus: 4 reasons why masks and clean surfaces aren’t enough. Massage (April, 2020)
MT & COVID FB group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/covidandmassage/
US Dept of Labor, OSHA. Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19.
Additional resource:
(Course) Healwell. Back to practice guidelines (in practice).
My heart is breaking. So much love in the massage industry and now so many people wanting to “get back to work” regardless of health.
I feel you Michelle! I run a massage therapy service in Fresno and with all the COVID-19 going around plus the Cali fires, its hard to run things.
thank you very much for the information
Thank you for this letter; you have said everything i have been saying for the past two months. I actually thought i was the only one feeling such pressure to return to work when all the signs say premature! I was made to feel by my employers and other co workers as if i was making much about nothing.
ME,is just a business, most of the owners just cares about the income that they’re losing.
They care less their employees. They manipulate their employees.
Off course is too early to reopen.But the owners put too much pressure to reopen.
If any MT refuses to come back to work of course we lose the unemployment benefits.
Thank you!!! I I have been a Massage Therapist for 23 years. This article is spot on. It is totally absurd to expect us to be safe . Everyone has to do what is right for themselves to survive and pay their bills but to act like they are not putting themselves in a higher danger than most workers is absurd. I will be waiting for more testing and re-opening blow-back. I have young children and the randomness with which this virus kills people scares the heck out of me.
Thank you for writing this article.!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Concise info on why I’m terrified to re-open in the foreseeable future.
It is unreal that the concept of social distancing and massage therapy is made to be believed that it is a rational construct of the mind. Massage therapy and social distancing cannot co-exist. Actually, we should use the term physical distancing instead of social distancing. So there can be no more physical than touching constantly a client for one hour in a small space, poorly ventilated in many establishments. A recipe for disaster!