Best practices in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic

By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer

In the midst of COVID-19, the virus commonly known as the Coronavirus, healthcare professionals have issued recommendations for best practices during the pandemic.

Dr. Jane M. Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, said people should not panic and join the mob at a big box store. You should only be buying what you need.

Dr. Orient also advised that people should only go to the emergency room if they are severely ill. If you don’t have the coronavirus, you might catch it from people there. And if you have a less severe case of the coronavirus, you could still spread it to someone else who might get a much worse case. Going to the ER when it’s not necessary also ties up necessary resources for patients with other serious ailments, like heart attacks or strokes.

How do you know if you’re sick enough to seek medical attention? Dr. Orient said if you have difficulty breathing or a fever of over 104 degrees, you should go to the hospital.

“It’s always a judgment call,” Dr. Orient said. “It’s very difficult to be sure.”

Since many people are unsure if their symptoms are severe enough, Dr. Orient said more telemedicine options would be beneficial, as would helplines devoted specifically to the coronavirus.

At the moment, there are no FDA-approved treatment options specifically for the coronavirus. Dr. Orient recommends taking vitamin C and vitamin D (you can get the latter just by being in the sunlight). If you are sick and share a home with others, the Centers for Disease Control recommends you stay in a separate room as much as possible and avoid using the same bathroom as any other house members.

Regarding vitamin D, Dr. Orient recommends getting exercise in the fresh air. Yes, you should take care to keep your distance from any people you encounter on a walk or run, but exercise combined with a healthy diet and adequate sleep can boost your immune system.

Even though fatality rates are currently higher among the elderly, Dr. Orient said it is a dangerous misconception to believe younger people are not in danger. People of all ages should be taking proper precautions (e.g. frequent hand washing with soap for 20 seconds, clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces like doorknobs, keyboards, and phone screens, avoid touching your mouth, eyes, and nose as much as possible).

“Healthy young people are being hit hard and are in ICUs with respiratory failure,” Dr Orient said. “They’re less likely to die than older people, but they can still get very sick.”

Even searching for the coronavirus on the Internet can have hazardous consequences, as Dr. Orient said there is a malware program circulating on sites that claims to provide info on the coronavirus. If you are interested in up-to-date stats, visit www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6. Additional information can also be found on the CDC’s website (www.cdc.gov) or the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons’ website (www.aapsonline.org) for other information.

This article originally published in the March 23, 2020 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.