Ask Coach Cathy- COVID-19 and massage
Dear friends,
I hope this note finds you well. By this time, I’m sure you are aware that COVID-19 (coronavirus) is beginning to widely circulate in the United States.
If you’re like me, you probably have concerns and are wondering what will come next. I would characterize my own feelings as cautious and concerned, but not panicked (no point in that, since that won’t help).
Here at OVOX our focus as always is to meet the needs of our members and perform our duties with excellence. And an important part of this is doing so with our entire team’s safety and health at the forefront. We haven’t had to make any great concessions yetâmaybe not as many high fives and some extra diligence in washing our hands. Our thoughts are with all of you who earn your living through human touch. I have begun to receive questions about safety practices and guidance on giving massage. An issue like COVID-19 clearly represents a potential threat to our normal way of life, and for many clients that might mean questioning whether to receive massage or bodywork.
Unfortunately, there is no guidebook or directive to let us know the absolute correct answer, or even when that answer might change. The Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) and World Health Organization (www.who.int) are our guiding authorities when it comes to health issues. At this point, they are encouraging good hygiene (something massage and bodywork professionals are steeped in already) and to avoid contact with others if you are sick (always good practice; critical in these times). Neither of those directives suggest not getting massage if you are in good health. I got my regular massage this week and intend to keep doing so.
We are doing our best to make sure we have helpful and pertinent up-to-date information. Should circumstances warrant, we’ll be back in touch.
I wanted to let you know that we are focused on providing you outstanding service and support and we wish you all good health.
Warm Regards,
Coach Cathy, LMT
OVOX Gym & Training Center