Roomates create conversation guide to help people discuss safety measures during the pandemic

Lisa Gluckstein and Divya Gopal are two roommates living in San Francisco. When the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in the United States, the two friends decided that, as roommates, they needed to have “an honest conversation about what living together responsibly during a pandemic looks like.“ And so, they wrote down the main point they needed to address and the agreements they came to during the conversation. They found that the conversation “helped provide clarity around shared expectations, created a space for connection in uncertain times, and ultimately helped us feel more safe within our household.”

Understanding that the risk of infection between housemates is high, the two friends thought that they should encourage others to have similar conversations with their roommates and family members. With the help of Lisa’s father, Dr. Dan Gluckstein, an infectious disease specialist, they created a conversation guide for “Cohabiting during Covid-19”. As stated in the document, the premise of this resource they created is the fact that “having a frank conversation and coming to an agreement on your shared expectations for good hygiene and social distancing practices with housemates/family will help your household prevent the risk of transmission to one another. “

The document is divided into two sections:

- A conversation Guide for Housemates/Families, containing a table with 9 questions to help guide the conversation and cover the most important points, with space to fill in each household’s responses;

- A comprehensive list of resources with additional information that includes recommendations from reputable sources on covid-19, best hygiene practices, the importance of social distancing, mental health and well-being, etc.

The guide is available online in English and Spanish: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yCrAWC5uaG-KolfqHlgewgmu3llTt1tCp7-x...

Adapted from: https://challenges.openideo.com/challenge/covid-19-communication-inspira...

https://conductscience.com/roommates-and-covid-things-to-talk-about/