Global Pandemic: COVID-19 @bellatropeano x @scudsinscrubs
In this research based blog post, we hope to inform you about the facts of COVID-19, what we can all do to stay safe, and ideas for life during government-mandated social distancing.
With the recent events regarding a global pandemic, I’ve been extremely apprehensive to say anything. Maybe it’s because like all of you I’m scared. Scared for the elderly and immunocompromised, our nation in a time of mass hysteria, our economy, my loved ones and honestly that I can’t seem to find a bottle of hand sanitizer anywhere… A week ago I thought about putting together a list of supplements and immune system boosters, but decided that it didn’t feel: 1. authentic, or 2. that helpful, as I saw many influencers already doing the same thing. While attempting to bolster your immunity during a pandemic is important, listing healthy supplements does not fully encompass the problem, nor does it help you navigate your feelings or stay informed with facts. So a few days ago I texted my best friend and 2nd year medical student, Amanda (@scudsinscrubs), to see if she would collab with me on a post where we incorporate factual information on ways to protect yourself and holistic solutions to help your mind, body, and soul during this crisis. We hope that this blog post helps you understand the FACTS about COVID-19 (that is, what is known so far), dispels any myths that may be going around, and gives you ideas for life at home while practicing social distancing.
Table of Contents:
The Facts
What We Can Do
Q and A with Medical Student
Social Distancing
The Facts
The facts section - important information about corona virus: what it is, where it came from, why it’s dangerous. The symptoms, the vulnerable populations most susceptible to suffering from a serious infection, and the importance of social distancing for our community and healthcare system.
The novel coronavirus, formerly known as nCoV-19, now goes by the name Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and causes COVID-19. This new strain, recently discovered in Wuhan, China, belongs to the larger Coronavirus family of viruses which may cause illness in animals and humans. Viruses within this larger coronavirus family may cause symptoms ranging from the common cold to a severe respiratory infection.
COVID-19 most commonly presents with fever, dry cough (not coughing anything up), and fatigue; however, other less common symptoms include runny nose, sore throat, body aches, congestion and diarrhea. Many individuals may also get the infection, but feel no symptoms. The large majority of people recover normally from the virus, but certain individuals face higher risks, distinguishing them as vulnerable populations. Some of the people considered less equipped to fight the virus include older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes (1).
While this past week definitely brought fear mongering and a lot of misinformation, the premise still stands that each one of us should act thoughtfully and cautiously through every day of this coronavirus pandemic. Right now, hand washing and social distancing need to become or remain a priority, and you must stay updated on any government mandates or restrictions in your area.
Social distancing or taking shelter-in-place precautions will greatly decrease the spread of COVID-19. I find it disheartening to watch many individuals not take these precautions seriously. Two greater issues stem from this behavior; insufficient hospital supply and accidental spread to vulnerable individuals.
It seems that many people fail to recognize that they may infect elderly or immunocompromised people by continuing their daily activities. Most realize that this virus may not yield severe symptoms in a young otherwise healthy person, but that same person, by living his or her life normally, even without showing symptoms could unknowingly infect a person that isn’t equipped to fight the virus to the same extent. Here’s where the healthcare supply becomes an issue (2).
If masses of people write off the social distancing precautions, then many serious cases pop up at once, overwhelming the healthcare system supply. Hospitals and healthcare personnel must then allocate resources accordingly, which may unfortunately leading to increased mortality compared to a situation of smaller scale. This is the basis behind the #FlattenTheCurve trend, which demonstrates the need to slow the rate of spread; it doesn’t necessarily prevent illness in the long run, but allows the healthcare system to more successfully meet the demands of all patients (3).
One may find simulations that simplify the benefits of social distancing at https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/. Educate yourself further using the CDC website https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html , as it contains definitively accurate information, in contrast to many other online sources.
Next steps—what can we do?
One must prioritize hand washing and social distancing as primary prevention, but one may bolster their wellbeing by striving for healthier sleep and diet practices.
Sleep - (4)
To improve one’s sleep, one may:
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day
Limit screen-time prior to bedtime
Limit naps throughout the day
Limit caffeine or other stimulants
Avoid foods that may keep you awake
Exercise
Use natural light promotes a healthy sleep-wake pattern
Diet - a diet full of healthy foods - with foods high in nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can only help your body run more effectively. Below is a list of dietary elements, followed by examples of their functions and foods that contain them (5) (6).
Vitamin A: vision, skin
eggs, shrimp, fish, beef, milk, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, spinach, mangoes
Vitamin B:
B-1 (Thiamin): skin, hair, muscle, brain
ham, soymilk, watermelon, acorn squash
B-2 (Riboflavin): skin, hair, blood, brain
milk, yogurt, cheese, whole grains and cereals.
B-3 (Niacin): skin, blood, brain, nerves
meat, poultry, fish, fortified and whole grains, mushrooms, potatoes
B-5 (Pantothenic Acid): hormones
chicken, whole grains, broccoli, avocados, mushrooms
B-6 (Pyridoxine): sleep, appetite, mood, blood cells
meat, fish, poultry, legumes, tofu/soy products, bananas
B-7 (Biotin): bones, hair
Whole grains, eggs, soybeans, fish
B-9 (Folate): healthy pregnancy
grains, cereals, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, legumes (black-eyed peas and chickpeas), orange juice
B-12 (Cobalamin): nerves, cell production
Meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, soymilk and cereals
Vitamin C: antioxidant, immune system
Citrus fruit, potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts
Vitamin D: bones, teeth
milk, cereals, fatty fish
Vitamin E: antioxidant, protect cells
vegetables oils, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts
Vitamin K: healthy blood clotting
Cabbage, eggs, milk, spinach, broccoli, kale
Calcium: bone, teeth, muscle function
yogurt, cheese, milk, salmon, leafy green vegetables
Chloride: fluid balance
salt
Magnesium: muscle function, blood clotting
Spinach, broccoli, legumes, seeds, whole-wheat bread
Potassium: fluid balance, heart, nerve, and muscle function
meat, milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes
Sodium: fluid balance, nerve and muscle function
salt, soy sauce, vegetables
Q & A with 2nd year Medical Student Amanda Scudder
How does the testing work?
A doctor uses a swab to collect a sample of cells in the patient’s throat and nose. Usually, this sample gets tested for influenza and sent to a lab where professionals run a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to determine the DNA sequence in those cells (which they can then compare to that of COVID-19).
I’ve heard rumors this could go on for months, how long do you think we’ll have to keep practicing social distancing?
It’s hard to say, and depends on so many factors, including the success of social distancing and new research findings. Experts attempt to make estimates regarding this matter; for example, some predict that the cases will peak in New York in about 45 days, then start to slow down.
Is my pregnancy safe? (7)
At this time, there is not clear published evidence regarding the virus in pregnancy; however, more information will likely be published on the matter in the near future. Pregnant women should follow guidelines strictly.
Where is the safest place to be when healthy or sick?
Right now, the safest place for any individual and others is to practice social distancing, as anyone is susceptible to catching the virus.
If ill, one must follow guidelines in their area with respect to reporting or testing (some places prefer you just stay home if you’re experiencing symptoms), and if necessary, seek immediate medical attention.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms can vary, but common presentations include:
Cough
Fever
Shortness of breath
Why is it called Corona Virus?
Refer to the Facts Section - essentially, Coronavirus is a family of viruses, this is a strain in that family. nCoV-19 stands for novel COronaVirus, discovered in 2019, and COVID-19 stands for coronavirus disease 2019.
How long does the virus live on surfaces? (8)
COVID-19 primarily spreads when an infected individual coughs or exhales respiratory droplets from his or her nose or mouth, which then land on objects and surfaces around the person. A healthy person may contract the virus when he or she breathes in, or touches these droplets and then his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. This close contact spread is the basis behind social distancing.
New research shows that the virus can survive about least three hours in the air, less than 4 hours on copper, less than one day on cardboard, less than two days on stainless steel, and less than three days on plastic.
I think I have it what should I do? (9)
Take your temperature (it’s good to have a thermometer on hand).
Keep yourself contained and use common sense and your judgment -
Call your primary care physician if you need or would like to seek medical attention, he or she will recommend a sound course of action.
Can I be a carrier of the disease yet not show any symptoms?
It depends what you mean by carrier. If you mean in terms of individual with an asymptomatic infection, then yes, research is underway regarding the ease in spreading from person-to-person especially prior to feeling any symptoms.
Can I get Corona Virus more than once?
Theoretically, if you mount an appropriate immune response to the virus, you should not be able to get sick from the same strain of the virus again (unless you are immunocompromised).
This is not to say that you won’t contract other strains from the coronavirus family in the future, but most of the others do not present with as much likelihood of severe symptoms.
social Distancing
I think the greatest point that we can take away from the above information Amanda has shared is that social distancing is extremely important! While this may be hard for some, particularly those of us in a work force that still demands our time and efforts outside of the home in which this case social distancing may not be possible and thats okay, for those of us that can work from home or are out of work, it’s important to take this time to stay inside and away from others. Below you’ll find an extensive list of things you can do that I promise will leave your days feeling busy, production and hopefully positive and not so much socially distant or “cooped” up!
Read
The last time I went to Target to stock up on supplies their entire book section was 30% off! While I love a good book, reading is something I seem to put on the back burner when managing my time. Now is a great time to set goals for yourself to finish a new book or maybe start a journal. If you’ve already quarantined yourself and don’t have any books on hand, NYPL has a massive collection of digital reads here https://www.nypl.org/about/coronavirus.
In-home workouts
With gyms and fitness classes closing there has been an explosion of fitness instructors coming together to make online streaming available. While I’ve had fun supporting lots of instructors with weekly schedules that can no longer teach, there are also many existing online streaming platforms available for in-home workouts below. This morning I did an IG live Corepower Yoga Sculpt Class with @thecoastalyogi with a can of salsa and pizza sauce and it was incredible like always!
Streaming Options:
Be sure to check in with your favorite instructors on Instagram for a lot of them are live streaming their classes daily!
Netflix and chill
You probably didn’t need the reminder for this, but since Brian and I regularly binge shows, we included our favorites categorized by streaming platform!
Netflix
How to Get Away With Murder
Dexter
Narcos
Stranger Things
Turn
Sherlock
Peaky Blinders
The Walking Dead
Breaking Bad
Hulu
Vikings
Revenge
The Handmaid’s Tale
HBO, starz and showtime
True Detective
Spartacus
Game of Thrones
Billions
Black Sails
Board Games
So far during our quarantine we’ve stayed the most busy with board games! Below is a list of our favorites (both 2 player and 2+ player games).
2 Player Games
Monopoly Deal*
Sequence*
Voltage
Azul*
Ticket to Ride*
Connect Four
Bananagrams*
Scrabble*
Jaipur
Pandemic*
2+ Player Games
Code Names
Scategories
Sorry
Uno
*denotes games that can be played with more than two people
DIY Crafts
Grab an old pair of sneakers, jeans or a white t-shirt and get crafting. While my plan for the end of the week is some DIY tie-dye since I can’t seem to find a matching set anywhere, Youtube is filled with lots of different cool DIY projects with things you probably don’t even need to go out and buy.
Set Goals
I’ve seen lots of takes on this…. some people saying there’s no need to plan your million dollar idea during a quarantine and instead take alone time to find peace and be with yourself and take it all in, others encouraging people to be productive and maybe take the extra time which we usually don’t have to start creating. I think this is completely personal and there’s no right or wrong answer. For those of us that are busy bodies and may not be working from home, I think if the opportunity presents itself now is the perfect time for goal-setting. Why not spend an hour of your day brainstorming the company you’ve always wanted to start, or create an action plan for your new health goals? Time is precious so before we all go back to our busy lives or “regular programming” why not take the time while we have it and be pro-active. For a read on goal setting click here.
Create Challenges
Challenge your roommates, significant other or family members to various “challenges”. Maybe they’re silly ones like no coffee for the day or no TV for the day and see if you can stick to them. They may even be positive ones like working out five days in a row or practicing a new skill two hours a day for the next week, then most importantly reward yourself with something when you complete them. For all the moms out there I’ve seen lots of families creating fun checklists for their kids to complete like the one below.
Make bed and clean room
Color a picture
Practice times table
Help mom organize toys
Read for 20 minutes
Meditate
Meditating is something we all need to do more of, in fact it actually boosts your immune system and helps you stay calm during times of fear. Whether you follow a guided practice (I love listening to Sarah Blondin on the Insight Timer App) or take five slow deep breaths before bed, any sort of meditation can ease your mind and help center and balance yourself while possibly mitigating anxiety and depression.
Meditation Apps
Cook
Brush up on your cooking skills and get in the kitchen! Social distancing means less going to restaurants and more cooking. I’ll be adding more recipes to the blog this weekend so stay tuned for an easy vegetable soup and a vegan and gluten free banana bread.
Spring Cleaning
Clean your space and reset for spring. Whether you go through your closets and make piles to donate to those in need, or reorganize your spice drawers and pantries, spring cleaning just makes you feel good. Maybe you organize and clean + sanitize your refrigerator (news flash they get really nasty and if its always full you may not even realize) or reorganize your living room furniture to freshen up your space. If you seem to have lots of time on your hands it’s worth checking out Marie Kondo who has books and a Netflix series exactly for moments like these.
Facetime friends + Family
Connect with people. While it may not seem like it right now, we truly do live in an amazing world where we can connect with people so easily! Pick up the phone and face time or call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while, check in with your parents (they’re worried about you trust me) or if you’re working from home set up a lunch date with some of your colleagues or friends.
Have a movie night
Shut the news off (it’s not going anywhere I promise) and have a movie night. Lights off, no talking, popcorn in hand style! It’s important to escape reality in times like these (only for a little that is) and a movie night is the perfect opportunity.
Create healthy habits
Now is the time! Always wanted to become a morning person who works out? or make that extra time to make a healthy breakfast in the morning? or cut out soda? Challenge yourself to start creating new health habits that will positively benefit you. Go to bed early and get more sleep, meditate and move your body. Buy a new planner to track your progress or download a productivity app, our resources are endless!
Some of my favorites + others I’ve seen on Social Media:
Spread Positivity+help otherS
I can’t stress the importance of helping others through this time in need enough. While I wish I could be doing more right now, like grocery shopping for all the elderly people in the world which I know is an extremely unrealistic goal, I’ve learned that there are so many small steps we can take to promote positivity and help others. Donate food to a shelter, share your favorite fitness instructors account with friends, buy a gift card to a local small business, help your elderly neighbor walk her dog and go to the store or for the love of God hand one of the 10 toilet paper rolls you have to someone else that may not have gotten any. While I’d love to compile a list of various people you can reach out to to get involved, this tends to be dependent on your city and location, but spending time on social media and reaching out to friends is a great place to find ways to get involved.
Sources
(1) - “Coronavirus.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.
(2) - Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 Mar. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
(3) - “These Simulations Show How to Flatten the Coronavirus Growth Curve.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 14 Mar. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/.
(4) - “What Is Sleep Hygiene?” National Sleep Foundation, www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/sleep-hygiene.
(5) - Harvard Health Publishing. “The Best Foods for Vitamins and Minerals.” Harvard Health, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-best-foods-for-vitamins-and-minerals.
(6) - Harvard Health Publishing. “Listing of Vitamins.” Harvard Health, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/listing_of_vitamins.
(7)- “Pregnancy & Breastfeeding.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Mar. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/pregnancy-breastfeeding.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fspecific-groups%2Fpregnancy-faq.html.
(8) - Holshue, M. L., et al. “Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1: NEJM.” New England Journal of Medicine, 5 Mar. 2020, www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc2004973.
(9) - “Coronavirus, Social Distancing and Self Quarantine.” Coronavirus, Social Distancing and Self Quarantine | Johns Hopkins Medicine, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-social-distancing-and-self-quarantine.
*all the information in this post came from the sources listed above as of 3/19/2020. If you or a loved one are sick or have questions regarding COVID-19 always call a medical professional for further action steps.
Like what you read or think this blog may benefit someone else? Please share it below!