Why Picharge Cares
The well-being of our clients and friends at PiCharge is important to us as we believe we can’t exist without you. We must ensure that you are duly informed of happenings around the world especially when it concerns keeping you safe and healthy. The COVID-19 has taken the world by surprise and we hope the piece of information below helps you to stay updated about the pandemic as the world joins hands to fight this health battle. Here are five tips we believe will be helpful;
- Information about COVID-19 is still evolving
According to the US CDC, reported illnesses have ranged from very mild (including some with no reported symptoms) to severe, including illness resulting in death. Older people and people of all ages with severe underlying health conditions seem to be at higher risk of developing a serious illness. But doctors still don’t have a complete clinical picture of COVID-19.
“I think there are two main questions,” says Richard Martinello, MD, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist and medical director of infection prevention at Yale New Haven Health. “First, we need to know how this virus is transmitted between people so we can be more precise in our efforts to stop its spread. Second, there needs to be a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the infection and resulting inflammatory response, so that knowledge can drive the development of therapeutic and preventive medications.”
One question that frequently comes up is how COVID-19 differs from the flu. One major difference is that SARS-CoV-2 is so new that people have not built up immunity to it. “While many people globally have built up immunity to seasonal flu strains, COVID-19 is a new virus to which no one has immunity. That means more people are susceptible to infection, and some will suffer severe disease,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a media briefing on March 3. While we have vaccines and therapeutics for seasonal flu, at the moment there is no vaccine and no specific treatment for COVID-19.
There is also more to learn about how COVID-19 spreads—and how contagious it is. “Data is needed not only to better understand when those who become ill shed the virus but also which body fluids contain the virus and how those may contaminate surfaces and even the air surrounding them,” says Dr. Martinello.
- Experts are taking steps to address COVID-19 and reduce infections
Although China has been reporting a decrease in new cases, the number of cases in this country has continued to rise. It includes imported cases diagnosed in travelers, people who were close contacts of other known cases, and community-acquired cases, meaning there was no known source of the infection.
Proper testing that is made widely available will be important in understanding how the disease is transmitted and the true infection and mortality rates. In addition to COVID-19 testing being done by the CDC in the U.S., state and local public health labs in all 50 states and the District of Colombia are currently using the CDC’s COVID-19 diagnostic tests, although the number of available tests is limited at this point. Until there can be comprehensive testing for COVID-19, it’s difficult to know how many cases may be here that have not been identified. “Testing is still very limited in Connecticut,” says Yale Medicine infectious disease specialist Manisha Juthani, MD. “This will hopefully change, but testing will have to be prioritized for those that are the sickest.”
Meanwhile, doctors in the U.S. are keeping a close eye on the new virus. “With the new virus in a culture dish, they are looking at the biology and working to make drugs to treat it,” says Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist Joseph Vinetz, MD. There is also a great deal of effort underway to assess drugs in development (and some medications currently available) to determine if they are beneficial for treating patients infected with COVID-19, adds Dr. Martinello.
“There is a clinical trial evaluating different potential therapeutics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, the first of which is remdesivir,” says Dr. Juthani. Remdesivir is an antiviral treatment that, according to the National Institutes of Health, was previously tested in humans with Ebola virus disease and has shown promise in animal models for treating Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and SARS, which are caused by other coronaviruses.
- If you feel ill, here’s what you can do
So far, information shows the severity of COVID-19 infection ranges from very mild (sometimes with no reported symptoms at all) to severe to the point of requiring hospitalization. Symptoms can appear anywhere between 2 to 14 days after exposure. You should call your medical provider for advice if you have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or live in an area with an ongoing spread of the disease and notice the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Cough
- Difficulty breathing that can be severe enough to seek hospital care
Seek medical attention immediately if you experience emergency warning signs, including difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or ability to arouse, or bluish lips or face. This list is not inclusive, so consult your medical provider if you notice other concerning symptoms.
- There are things you can do to protect yourself
As with a cold, a flu vaccine won’t protect people from developing COVID-19. It could take as long as 12 to 18 months to develop a vaccine for the new virus, according to Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
While doctors learn more about transmission, Dr. Vinetz says, “The best thing you can do at this point is to take care of yourself the way you would to prevent yourself from getting the flu. You know you can get the flu when people sneeze and cough on you, or when you touch a doorknob. Washing hands—especially before eating and touching your face, and after going to the bathroom—and avoiding other people who have flu-like symptoms are the best strategies at this point.”
The CDC also recommends the following preventive actions:
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Dry them thoroughly with an air dryer or clean towel. If soap isn’t available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Stay home if you’re sick.
- Avoid touching nose, eyes, and mouth. Use a tissue to cover a cough or sneeze, then dispose of it in the trash.
- Use a household wipe or spray to disinfect doorknobs, light switches, desks, keyboards, sinks, toilets, cell phones, and other objects and surfaces that are frequently touched.
- If you must touch something, use a tissue or sleeve to protect your hand.
- It may also be important to create a household plan of action. You should talk with people who need to be included in your plan, plan ways to care for those who might be at greater risk for serious complications, get to know your neighbors, and make sure you and your family have a household plan that includes ways to care for loved ones if they get sick. This includes planning a way to separate a family member who gets sick from those who are healthy, if the need arises.
As for masks, there is little evidence supporting their widespread use for people who are not sick. “We generally do not recommend the use of masks for the general public,” says Dr. Martinello. “Masks may provide a modest degree of protection against fluids, including spray from a cough or sneeze, and they provide some filtration of the air. But, since the masks do not provide a tight seal around the wearer’s nose and mouth, much of the air inhaled and exhaled remains unfiltered.” However, the CDC does recommend face masks for people who have symptoms of COVID-19, as well as for health care workers and others who may be caring for them. “Since we are experiencing mask shortages, it is important to save masks for health care workers and patients that are sick in the emergency room to prevent other patients from getting sick,” says Dr. Juthani.
While everyone should take precautions, some people appear to be at higher risk for severe disease, including adults over 60 years old (the risk seems to gradually increase with age starting at age 40, according to the WHO) and those with chronic conditions (such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease). People in these categories especially should avoid crowded places and stock up on household items, groceries, medications, and other supplies in case they need to stay home for an extended period.
- Precautions remain extremely important
The CDC is taking measures to prepare communities to respond to any local or widespread transmission of the new virus. While medical facilities prepare for the possibility of large numbers of people needing medical care, it’s important for people to follow instructions regarding school closures, work shutdowns, event cancellations, or implementation of policies for working remotely.
Since threats like COVID-19 can lead to the circulation of misinformation, it’s important to trust information only from reputable health organizations and government sources such as the CDC and the WHO.
Remember to stay healthy,
💗
Picharge Cares.