Dear grandmother, please read this before visiting your grandchildren during the pandemic

(CNN) - Dear grandmother,

We know you are eager to see your grandchildren after spending the last few weeks in isolation. However, a family visit may not be the safest idea at this time.

• READ: Are you worried about the coronavirus? If one of your loved ones is over 60, read this

Staying at home is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But, if your heart yearns to play with your grandchildren again, there are a few ways to make your visit safer.

Although, please remember that there is always a risk associated with seeing children, even if you are reluctant to hug them.

1. Please consider the risk

We speak to Dr. Samir Sinha, director of Geriatrics for the Sinai Health System and the University of Toronto Health Network. And this is what it says:

Until there is a vaccine, the most vulnerable people should continue to stay home ... if they can. This includes grandparents over 60 like you and people with chronic illnesses.

You see, people in those conditions are more likely to become seriously ill if they get the coronavirus. We don't want it to happen to you.

"I think the pandemic has been really difficult for everyone, but social isolation is a special problem for older adults," Sinha explained. "One of the greatest joys for older people is seeing the younger people in their lives and having intergenerational connections," he added.

It is a complicated balance, we know that.

On the one hand, meaningful connections are very important: they can enrich and even prolong your life. But seeing a loved one means that you will interact with people you haven't seen in weeks and who have spent their isolation in a different environment than you do. You have to decide if that risk is worth it in your case.

2. Let's talk about this

You may think that we, the beloved members of your family, have forbidden you visits.

• LOOK: Parties on FaceTime and smart frames: this is how people in the pandemic connect with their grandparents

"There is this tension between families in which older people feel that their loved ones are overprotective or violate their rights," said Sinha.

It doesn't have to be a dead end. Let's talk about it.

"It should be a shared option," added Sinha. "That person hears why their loved one really wants to protect them, and this sparks a conversation and helps the person understand: 'While I am concerned that you are getting covid-19, I appreciate that you want to protect me from that.'"

Discuss why you want to visit and acknowledge the associated risk.

• Have you stayed home and limited your exhibitions?
• Or have you had to work every day in environments that could expose the rest of the family to the virus?

If the answer is the second, it is best to take a virtual tour.

3. Follow the safest protocol

There is no way to guarantee total security. But there are steps we can all take to keep risk as low as possible.

Read Sinha's recommendations, which he developed with the Scientific Advisory Council of the American Red Cross:

• Have a good state of health. Make sure you don't have any discomfort when you plan to visit, that includes any runny nose, fever or stomach ache, or any form of illness. We will also not let you visit us if any of us is sick.
• Wear face masks. And keep them over your mouth and nose throughout the visit, if possible. If you don't have symptoms, masks help prevent you from exhaling the virus. (And you can learn to make your own mask at home).
• Wash your hands. As soon as you walk in, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Like your family, we will disinfect surfaces that are touched frequently before you arrive.
• Say hello from afar . Try not to greet us with a kiss or a hug, however difficult it may be.
• Keep your distance. You already know the exercise, stay at least 2 meters away. We know, it is rare.

Sinha also recommends that her older patients be re-vaccinated, especially against the flu and pneumonia.

If you contract the coronavirus, there is a greater chance that you will also get pneumonia or the flu at the same time. Having multiple diseases will be a burden on your immune system.

4. Control the number of visits you will make

Then it is decided: you will visit. Now you need to choose which family members will go first.

When you visit multiple people, the chance of exposure to the virus increases, Dr. William Schaffner explained. He is an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

• LOOK: Social distancing requires a minimum distance of 2 meters (or 6 feet): 10 examples to get it right

"Start with a few people, or just one at a time," said Schaffner. "This is not the time to have a great family reunion."

Here is another issue that may influence your choice: Children under the age of 5 may have trouble following social distancing measures. If they (or you) can't resist bear hugs or cheek kisses, consider visiting families with older children, Sinha said.

5. Let's meet outdoors

Schaffner suggested that we do our gatherings outdoors like ours, like a park or garden, where we can keep ourselves safe, keeping the proper distance from others.

Transmission is unlikely outdoors as long as we are two meters from each other due to constant air flow, Schaffner explained. But it is better to wear a face mask to avoid asymptomatic transmission if we accidentally get close.

One last thing: we, your loving relatives, love you very much. These guidelines are not ideal, and we have never had to do something like this before. But if we take these actions now, we will do our part to stop the spread of the coronavirus. And when this pandemic has passed, we can hug again

Oh, and keep washing your hands.

Fondly,

The people who love you

PS Here are some useful links, if you haven't seen them yet:

• This is a search bank for any coronavirus questions you may have.
• Here is what you need to know about proper social distancing.
  Here are some tips on how you can protect your home from the coronavirus.
• Please read this before going outside
• Finally, if you feel helpless, here is a list of places where you can donate