Don’t Fear the Wave

  • Published
  • By SrA Ruben Rios
  • 514th Air Mobility Wing
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  
It’s that time of year… again!

Many people experience allergies around this time of year. Well, now it seems we need to watch out for the coronavirus as well. A wave of COVID-19 seems to be making its way around our parts.

But fear not!

The 514th Air Mobility Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst has the latest guidelines from both the Department of Defense and Centers for Disease Control, June 5, 2022.

DoD and CDC guidelines work in conjunction with each other. Here is an easy-to-understand breakdown:

When it comes to mask-wearing, generally if you are experiencing any symptoms, wear a mask.

As a group, according to the DoD, “when the CDC COVID-19 community level is high in the county where a DoD installation or facility is located, indoor mask-wearing is required for all Service members, DoD civilian employees… DoD personnel, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.” As per the same memorandum, “when the CDC COVID-19 community level is medium/[low]… indoor mask-wearing is not required…”

All that is to say, when the coronavirus level is high in a given community (as per the CDC), all DoD personnel are mandated to wear masks indoors. Medium and low levels do not require indoor masks wearing.

When it comes to exposure, guidelines get a little more complicated.

Luckily there is an easy to use quarantine and isolation calculator found here:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html#

According to the CDC website, “People with COVID-19 and close contacts should follow the recommendations outlined on [the CDC website]. These recommendations do not change based on COVID-19 community levels.”

Here are some guidelines for common situations for military and DoD personnel, according to the CDC:

“If you were exposed to COVID-19 and are up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, no quarantine is required. Watch for symptoms until 10 days after … get tested even if you don’t develop symptoms… [at least 5 days after contact]… wear a well-fitting mask for 10 full days [from contact].”

“If you tested positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, stay home for 5 days and isolate from others in your home, Wear a well-fitting mask if you must be around others… If you got very sick from COVID-19… you should isolate for at least 10 days… do not travel until a full 10 days after your symptoms started or the date your positive test was taken if you had no symptoms.”

The coronavirus has affected us all in some way or another, but it doesn’t have to completely halt our lives!

Together we can take the necessary precautions to keep the mission going, and more importantly, keep each other safe!