COVID-19: What you can do to stay calm and healthy
March 17, 2020
Learning how to best care and support ourselves, families, neighbors and communities is paramount when battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our country, state and city leaders and scientists and health care professionals are on the frontlines learning as much as they can and putting measures in place to serve and protect us,” said Texas MedClinic Chief Medical Officer and practicing physician Dr. David Gude. “Let’s do our part by staying healthy, calm and following CDC guidelines to curb the spread of the virus.”
- Follow social distancing protocols issued by your city, state and federal authorities.
Schools and colleges are closed or moving to online coursework; businesses are encouraging employees to work from home and restaurants are providing take-out only, let’s heed their lead and stay away from social gatherings. It won’t be long before we can all connect again.
If in the grocery, at the bank, or at the park, stay at least 6 feet away from another person.
Social distancing is the single most effective away to prevent the spread of a virus and can protect our older and immune compromised populations from becoming critically ill.
- Be informed, but limit news on COVID-19 to help ease anxiety and fear.
If quarantined to home, tackle projects that have been waiting for your attention, or try playing a board game or card game as a distraction from the daily newsfeed.
- Continue to exercise and eat nutritious foods like citrus fruits, immune boosting vegetables like broccoli and spinach, yogurt, nuts, and food high in protein; it keeps us strong and healthy.
- Check in on your older family members, friends or neighbors. Call them, see how they are doing and if they need resources such as food or prescription drugs.
- Continue to wash hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Wash hands especially before eating, touching your face or after visiting public places like stores and airports.
Plus, hand washing is a really good habit to create for yourself and your family, as most viruses including influenza are spread through person-to-person contact. - Always cough or sneeze into your elbow; don’t let the secretions fly.
Researchers at the University of Bristol assessed the airborne survival of bacteria in aerosol droplets from coughs and sneezes. They found the average sneeze or cough can send around 100,000 contagious germs into the air at speeds up to 100 miles per hour.
If infected with COVID-19, it’s those tiny droplets for which another person can breathe into their lungs and cause the disease to continue to spread.
- If you are sick, stay home. Only leave to seek medical attention and call your medical provider before visiting a doctor’s office or urgent care center.
