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Risk Tolerance

Risk Tolerance

Having a shared language about risk is an important part of being able to create a good social bubble. Dr. Evelin Decker’s Covid Care model offers a set of risk levels that you can begin to use to identify what kind of risks you are comfortable with–and what kinds of risks your potential bubble buddies are comfortable with.

You are only as safe as the biggest risk taker in your social bubble!

Honest conversations about risk tolerance are critical to creating a social bubble that respects the needs of everyone who is part of it.

Covid Risk Tolerance

Based on Evelin Dacker, MD’s model

People’s risk tolerance may based on many different factors, from their vulnerability to complications from infection to their personality to their living situation. Whatever the reasons are that you arrive at your risk tolerance level, being able to communicate it clearly is important–as is listening to and respecting the boundaries of those who have a stricter risk tolerance than you do.

Very Strict

  • Stays within container
  • Maintains 6 foot distance
  • No outside contact
  • Strict infection control protocol
  • No contact with outside world

Strict

  • Leaves container for essentials
  • Maintains 6 feet distance outside of container when out for essentials
  • Uses strict etiquette, including hand washing, masks, and social distancing, 100% of the time when outside the container
  • No socializing outside the container

Fairly Strict

  • Leaves container only to go to work and for essentials
  • Fairly strict etiquette, including hand washing, masks, and social distancing, 80-99% of the time when outside the container
  • Minimizes grocery and other shopping
  • Rarely socializes with others outside the container. Maintains social distance and only sees groups smaller than 10 people

Somewhat Open

  • Leaves container to exercise, go to the store, work and other activites several times a week
  • Etiquette, including hand washing, masks, and social distancing, 60-79% of the time when outside the container
  • Sometimes socializes with others outside the container. Tries to maintain social distance with no more than 10 people

Moderately Open

  • Leaves container to exercise, go to the store, work and other activites multiple times a week
  • Etiquette, including hand washing, masks, and social distancing, 20-59% of the time when outside the container
  • Regularly socializes with others outside the container.
  • May not maintain social distance and may interact with groups of more than 10 people

Very Open

  • No precautions to protect self from infection
  • May desire to get infected
  • Actively socializes without regard to social distancing or recommended etiquette

This level must take strong precautions to reduce risk to others with different risk levels! Honesty is vital.