1. < Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19

COVID-19 Coronavirus and Lung Health: What can you do?

Posted by Merry, Alumni Mentor @merpreb, Mar 1, 2020

Good morning- I have hesitated to post anything about this new and dangerous group of viruses because I am certainly not qualified to discuss any science. And certainly not about genetics and viruses. But I can discuss how we can lessen our fears, be as prepared as we can and very simply if we get it, what do we do?

First of all the COVID-19 is the name for many similar viruses. It's not just one. It is believed to have started by bat guana in Wuhan, China. Wuhan is the very large capital of Central China’s Hubei province. It is a commercial center divided by the Yangtze and Han rivers. This virus spread very quickly, perhaps like the flu. And because of travel. it is spreading throughout the world, and it is here in America. This is a group of very dangerous viruses has the potential to kill and has. Many of us with breathing problems must be very diligent to protect ourselves as much as we can.

You can help protect yourself by doing these things:

Keep your hands clean. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Cover your cough and sneezes to keep germs from spreading to others. Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces routinely. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay home when you are sick.

If you have these symptoms please see a doctor: Fever, Cough, Shortness of breath

I know that a lot of us have at least two of these symptoms already. So if your shortness of breath or your coughs become worse and you feel ill then it is time to seek medical help.

Here are several sites that have addressed the Coronavirus for more information.

If you know of anyone who is ill please stay away from them. Passing along the facts about this group of viruses is the best that you can do to help others avoid getting ill.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.

lblazina | @lblazina | Mar 11, 2020
In reply to @merpreb "@joelars- Good afternoon Joe. This is such an excellent question. Just now WHO is calling it..." + (show)
@merpreb

@joelars- Good afternoon Joe. This is such an excellent question. Just now WHO is calling it a Pandemic. This means that it has reached most of the world. There are now over 118,000 people who have been affected by COVID-19, not counting the dead. Unfortunately, Joe, since this virus has become political and fodder for the press it's hard to tell if we are overreacting. There is no doubt that this virus is different than other flu viruses. Its entire structure is different and it's tiny, tiny.
I have chosen to confine myself and avoid any place that has a lot of people at some time during the day. I have had bronchitis and the flu. I've also been active until now. I've tried very hard to be sensible about my health and what I should avoid and when I shouldn't.
It's up to you to decide what you are willing to take a chance on doing. If it's in your community then the decision, to me would be different than if it's not. I tend to be overcautious. One less day ill with something other than COPD and lung cancer is fine by me.

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Joe and Merry, I'm starting to get boggled by the information overload and wondering also sometimes...am I overreacting. I have a practice and see patients two days/week, have put into place a protocol I feel somewhat comfortable with in the office....we are supplied with hand sanitizer, Clorox hard surface spray, Lysol, regular bar soap for me and office manager. Having patients sit about six feet from me (psychology practice) which is not ideal, but I feel necessary per guidelines. We're being super aware of trying to protect us and the clients also. We are calling in advance and asking about symptoms, and giving them option of rescheduling, depending on their comfort level. Several people have been relieved to be able to reschedule their appointments. Everyone is also as best I can tell, very understanding of why we are doing what we are doing in regard to infection control. In my local area, no cases confirmed as of today. I have decided that once it hits our county and neighboring counties, I will suspend appointments for a while. I am in Tennessee and yesterday there was quite an uproar when governor announced they would not say what counties confirmed cases are in.......but his decision was quickly reversed because people rose up and demanded transparency. I hate that this thing has become politicized but in today's world, there seems no way to avoid that. Politicians and the media may be exaggerating, or may be minimizing. I'm not one to trust the government or the media too much. Luckily, I have no serious or chronic illnesses but if I did, I think I would be staying at home as much as possible until more is known. I have cancelled one dermatology appointment because I don't want to go in physician's offices or hospitals. Best to both of you and hope that all of us can avoid catching this one.

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1 reply
cindylb | @cindylb | Mar 11, 2020
In reply to @merpreb "Good afternoon- Have you wondered why this virus is different than the other very bad viruses..." + (show)
@merpreb

Good afternoon- Have you wondered why this virus is different than the other very bad viruses that we have seen and the flu? Here's your answer what this one does to your body:
https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-body-symptoms.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

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Thank you so much for posting this. There hasn't been much information on the general news,etc....this helps a lot to understand this virus and even helps to know what to look for in the way of symptoms and progression. Appreciate you posting this.

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joelars | @joelars | Mar 11, 2020
In reply to @merpreb "Good afternoon- Have you wondered why this virus is different than the other very bad viruses..." + (show)
@merpreb

Good afternoon- Have you wondered why this virus is different than the other very bad viruses that we have seen and the flu? Here's your answer what this one does to your body:
https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-body-symptoms.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

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@merpreb I just googled the number of people who died from the "regular" flu in 2019. The answer is between 15-30 thousand. I understand that in 2009-10, 60 thousand died from swine flu. Therefore, I still don't see the compelling evidence for concluding that this is a significantly more dangerous virus than prior pandemic corona type virus'?

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1 reply
joelars | @joelars | Mar 11, 2020

I'm beginning to think that this virus is like the plan/car crash distinction. A plane crash is so dramatic and unusual it completely grabs my attention. Car crashes kill so many more , but they are so banal

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1 reply
alamogal635 | @alamogal635 | Mar 11, 2020
In reply to @joelars "I'm beginning to think that this virus is like the plan/car crash distinction. A plane crash..." + (show)
@joelars

I'm beginning to think that this virus is like the plan/car crash distinction. A plane crash is so dramatic and unusual it completely grabs my attention. Car crashes kill so many more , but they are so banal

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@jolears You have a point. I think the media has also helped cause much more panic than needed. I'm not saying Corona Virus is anything to overlook, but it is a big newsmaker and the media will use it and milk it for as long as they can hook audiences.

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3 replies
peach414144 | @peach414144 | Mar 12, 2020
In reply to @alamogal635 "@jolears You have a point. I think the media has also helped cause much more panic..." + (show)
@alamogal635

@jolears You have a point. I think the media has also helped cause much more panic than needed. I'm not saying Corona Virus is anything to overlook, but it is a big newsmaker and the media will use it and milk it for as long as they can hook audiences.

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I thank you for your encouragement however when a person is age 82, has 3 autoimmune diseases, diabetes 2 and a few (or more diseases) then that person or persons must be very cautious. So for these people it is a matter of life or death. I am remaining calm and keeping as busy (in my home) as I can until. I thank all of the many of us here at the Mayo for helping and encouraging. With love, Peach

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1 reply
Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Mar 12, 2020
In reply to @joelars "@merpreb I just googled the number of people who died from the "regular" flu in 2019...." + (show)
@joelars

@merpreb I just googled the number of people who died from the "regular" flu in 2019. The answer is between 15-30 thousand. I understand that in 2009-10, 60 thousand died from swine flu. Therefore, I still don't see the compelling evidence for concluding that this is a significantly more dangerous virus than prior pandemic corona type virus'?

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@joelars- This virus has not reached a level where you can count total deaths yet. We also do not know how many cases there are so far because there are some countries that are not divulging information. We also don't know how many children have had it or have it because their symptoms are like colds and they aren't being tested.
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/why-some-covid-19-cases-are-worse-than-others-67160
Joe- If you think that SARS COVID-19 isn't that dangerous than feel free to live your life the way you want with a minimum amount of caution. But I feel responsible to say that this is a deadly virus that is being spread very quickly and the CDC is asking people to avoid crowds to help stop its spread. Ignoring this request and information could put you or other people that you are in contact in danger.

REPLY
Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Mar 12, 2020
In reply to @peach414144 "I thank you for your encouragement however when a person is age 82, has 3 autoimmune..." + (show)
@peach414144

I thank you for your encouragement however when a person is age 82, has 3 autoimmune diseases, diabetes 2 and a few (or more diseases) then that person or persons must be very cautious. So for these people it is a matter of life or death. I am remaining calm and keeping as busy (in my home) as I can until. I thank all of the many of us here at the Mayo for helping and encouraging. With love, Peach

Jump to this post

@peach414144- You are absolutely correct Peach. Extreme caution right now as this virus spreads is the prudent thing to do. Since little is known about who are carriers and why and not others it is more precarious to people with preexisting conditions! Be safe Peach!

REPLY
Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Mar 12, 2020
In reply to @alamogal635 "@jolears You have a point. I think the media has also helped cause much more panic..." + (show)
@alamogal635

@jolears You have a point. I think the media has also helped cause much more panic than needed. I'm not saying Corona Virus is anything to overlook, but it is a big newsmaker and the media will use it and milk it for as long as they can hook audiences.

Jump to this post

@alamogal635- Aside from the media there are facts being published by reliable sources that will keep you informed about the information that you should heed if possible. Be safe, I know that you will.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

REPLY
Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Mar 12, 2020
In reply to @lblazina "Joe and Merry, I'm starting to get boggled by the information overload and wondering also sometimes...am..." + (show)
@lblazina

Joe and Merry, I'm starting to get boggled by the information overload and wondering also sometimes...am I overreacting. I have a practice and see patients two days/week, have put into place a protocol I feel somewhat comfortable with in the office....we are supplied with hand sanitizer, Clorox hard surface spray, Lysol, regular bar soap for me and office manager. Having patients sit about six feet from me (psychology practice) which is not ideal, but I feel necessary per guidelines. We're being super aware of trying to protect us and the clients also. We are calling in advance and asking about symptoms, and giving them option of rescheduling, depending on their comfort level. Several people have been relieved to be able to reschedule their appointments. Everyone is also as best I can tell, very understanding of why we are doing what we are doing in regard to infection control. In my local area, no cases confirmed as of today. I have decided that once it hits our county and neighboring counties, I will suspend appointments for a while. I am in Tennessee and yesterday there was quite an uproar when governor announced they would not say what counties confirmed cases are in.......but his decision was quickly reversed because people rose up and demanded transparency. I hate that this thing has become politicized but in today's world, there seems no way to avoid that. Politicians and the media may be exaggerating, or may be minimizing. I'm not one to trust the government or the media too much. Luckily, I have no serious or chronic illnesses but if I did, I think I would be staying at home as much as possible until more is known. I have cancelled one dermatology appointment because I don't want to go in physician's offices or hospitals. Best to both of you and hope that all of us can avoid catching this one.

Jump to this post

@lblazina- Kudos to you for coming up with a sensible and cautious plan for your clients. I applaud you for this. It is very prudent. I know that it's difficult not to pay attention to the media because they are just unrelenting but try and stick with reliable sources.

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