In the past few weeks I’ve been doing my best to keep tabs on the Coronavirus research and information that – in my opinion – I haven’t spent as much time on how you can prepare for the lifestyle changes that are being / will be implemented. So, aside from teh latest news on Coronavirus, I’m also going to take some time to highlight some things you can do now, and things you don’t need to do now to be ready for some things that may come down the pipe.
As always, a reminder that I am not a medical doctor. I know a few, and they are all awesome! But I am not one. Nor am I a healthcare professional of any kind. These updates are my way of helping everyone sift through the riff-raff. My goal with these posts is to pass along relevant information from the medical community – direct from the source – with some translation into regular English.
A couple of stats before we begin
As of March 13th at 5pm (the CDC doesn’t update their website on the weekend):
Total United States cases: 1,629
— Travel-related: 138
— Close contact: 129
— Under investigation: 1,362
Total deaths: 41
States reporting cases: 46 states and District of Columbia
(Numbers pulled from other reliable resources) Total United States cases reported by other medical sites:
Johns Hopkins:
Total cases: 2,952
Total deaths: 57
Total recovered: 12
Things to do right now
As the meme says: Keep Calm & Carry On. There is no evidence to suggest, within the research nor from government officials, that buying supplies to survive in complete isolation will be necessary. While I understand that it may be a bit late to spread that message, it is an important one to repeat.
Even if you are asked to self-quarantine, it doesn’t mean that, as a society, you will be left to fend for yourself. In America, we help our neighbors and look after those who need assistance. I would find it highly unlikely, and close to impossible, that society would break down to the point where it was a “Every Man For Himself!” situation.
If you want to “stock up” on items, that is fine. The CDC even encouraged it for those who are “at risk” a few days ago. But treat it like a Hurricane Kit or an Earthquake kit. While you won’t need a flashlight or a whistle, other items may be useful. Things like some extra water, non-perishable foods, medicicines, hand soap, etc.
But, given what the government officials are suggesting, the rush to buy toilet paper and hand sanitizer may prove to be unnecessary.
For now, simply keep tabs on the news with Coronavirus. Continue to wash your hands – just like you would do to combat the spread of the common cold or the regular flu – and avoid touching your face. Try to practice social distancing by keeping six-feet between you and others around you when in a public space.
That is the great thing about the virus, it is totally beatable with a few easy steps!
And be aware that the biggest concern is for those with compromised immune systems and people over 60. So if you have those people in your house or in your life, take extra steps to make sure you don’t accidentally pass along the virus to them.
The other thing to do is to keep this potential outbreak in perspective. While, yes it is dangerous to those infected, and yes there is the potential that it could spread through the United States, at this time the best thing to do is remain calm and do what you would normally do to fight against the regular flu. Plus limiting contact with others to suppress the spread of the virus.
And, as a reminder, the regular flu is still out there, too. This isn’t comparative suffering. Both are bad. The flu has sent 21,000,000 people to the doctor and – according to the CDC – is responsible for up to 46,000 deaths. So protect yourself from the regular flu, too.
Who is “at risk” anyway?
According to the CDC, older adults, and people who have serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease are considered “at risk” or a “higher risk” person.
Being an “at risk” person does not mean you are more susceptible to contracting the virus, it means that you are more susceptible to complications from an infection. If you are deemed “at risk” it is because previous cases of an infection in others, with similar health concerns, has led to a more potent sickness.
New research
A new not-yet-peer-reviewed paper out, titled, “Temperature and latitude analysis to predict potential spread and seasonality for COVID-19” is trying to find a link between the climate and the spread of Coronavirus.
The researchers found that the average temperature in places with similar outbreaks fell between 41F and 51F degrees with a Relative Humidity between 47-percent and 79-percent.
Researchers note:
Temperature and humidity are also known factors in SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and influenza survival. Furthermore, new outbreaks occurred during periods of prolonged time at these temperatures, perhaps pointing to increased risk of outbreaks with prolonged conditions in this range. Besides potentially prolonging half-life and viability of the virus, other potential mechanisms associated with cold temperature and low humidity include stabilization of the droplet and enhanced propagation in nasal mucosa, as has been demonstrated with other respiratory viruses.
Before you get too excited, though, there is direct evidence to contradict this research in the southeast where the spread is happening pretty quickly in places like Florida, south Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. While pershap not at the same pace as New York, Italy or Washington State, it is still spreading with some speed.
Researchers noted that as the Northern Hemisphere warms as we move into Spring, the area of concern for greatest infections will shift north. While this paper is not yet peer-reviewed, the authors did note that this is a testable hypothesis and encouraged others to examine the data and run experiments. The researchers did note, though, that while in the Northern Hemisphere the 41F to 51F range would be shrinking, it would also be growing in the Southern Hemisphere.
Other research on viral spread
It turns out, that according to researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine, the average person with Coronavirus “spreads the disease to two or three others — an exponential rate of increase” and there is some evidence that is can be “transmitted by people who are just mildly ill or even presymptomatic.”
That could be a problem for those who are trying to avoid becoming sick. As people may be walking around, infected, and infecting others, before they are even aware they are infected. This could become an even bigger issued for folks who are “at risk” as it can take five to 14 days for symptoms to develop, according to research by Johns Hopkins.
This is why social distancing is also such a big deal.
From the Mayo Clinic, for women who are pregnant
The Mayo Clinic also noted that women who are pregnant need to treat the Coronavirus like they are in the special group.
“We are still trying to figure out how this virus behaves in pregnant women,” Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse a pediatric infectious diseases specialist said. “But we do know pregnancy is a time of immune suppression.”
Rajapakse says that women who are pregnant should treat themselves as if they are apart of the “compromised immune system” population until the researchers learn more about the virus. Those same researchers are also trying to figure out if the virus can spread to the fetus.
Additionally, the Mayo Clinic produced this podcast.
This is from the Mayo Clinic website, totled: “Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, discusses who is at risk, how to stay protected from the virus, and, if there will be a coronavirus vaccine in the future.”
More from the CDC
The CDC introduced some warnings signs to look for in folks that may have contracted the virus. The original three included, fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Now, the CDC says other things to look for include a persistent pain or pressure in the chest, general confusion or extreme fatigue, bluish lips or face. A fever of 100+ degrees has also been noted in interviews here and there, though I am uncertain if that is a “rule of thumb” or not.
If you develop symptoms, the CDC recommends the following steps:
– Stay home and call your doctor
– Call your healthcare provider and let them know about your symptoms. Tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help them take care of you and keep
other people from getting infected or exposed.
– If you are not sick enough to be hospitalized, you can recover at home. Follow CDC instructions for how to take care of yourself at home.
– Know when to get emergency help
– Get medical attention immediately if you have any of the emergency warning signs listed above.
The CDC also added a few links to their site this morning.
— Keeping workplaces, homes, schools, or commercial establishments safe
— CDC’s framework for mitigation
These pamphlets might be a good read for those trying to avoid contact and limit the transmission of the virus.
Other mitigation strategies the CDC recommends:
– Clean your hands often
– Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
– If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
– To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.
– Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places.
– Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
– Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches,
handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks & cell phones)
– Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick.
– Avoid all non-essential travel including plane trips, and especially avoid embarking on cruise ships.
