At times you may feel stressed, anxious, have trouble sleeping, or feel afraid. Seek the support of family, friends, clergy, and health professionals. And if you find your anxiety becoming overwhelming, don’t hesitate to contact someone you trust for help. No one of us has to go through alone.
I’ve been posting about COVID-19 regularly on Facebook and Instagram and I hope you’ve been following. If so, this post will be a re-cap; if not, I hope you learn something. Most of this information comes from the CDC, Centers for Control and Prevention, and some from state, local, and private health agencies.
You may want to proceed to this updated review of COVID-19.
In this post, I’m offering a graphic review of COVID-19 and what we can still do to prevent infections IN ADDITION TO getting vaccinated. Until we achieve wide spread immunity through vaccination the risk of infection and death are still present and still just as real.
how can i keep myself and my family from being infected with covid-19?
Until we have a vaccine, the single most important prevention is frequent hand washing.
how is covid-19 different from colds, flu, and allergies?
What else can we do to stay safe from covid-19?
should we be afraid of covid-19?
managing covid-19 anxiety
exploring the HEART of health by understanding COVID-19
Thanks for reviewing this outline of this new disease that we are all learning about and that has changed our lives so drastically. I appreciate the CDC and other sources for making these easy to understand graphics available.
COVID-19 is a new, serious, contagious health risk that concerns the medical community as well as government, schools, business, religious groups, charities, and private citizens. These communities have banded together quickly to develop plans to manage this threat effectively.
Just like other challenges we face, it can be daunting and sometimes scary; but sometimes that’s when we accomplish the greatest good in the long run.
At times you may feel stressed, anxious, have trouble sleeping, or feel afraid. Seek the support of family, friends, clergy, and health professionals.
And if you find your anxiety becoming overwhelming, don’t hesitate to contact someone you trust for help. No one of us has to go through alone.
Don’t panic over colds/flu, hints to get you through
Where I live we recently had our first freeze of the winter. It gets dark earlier now since we “fell back” to standard time. And we’ve already had our first reported cases of influenza, which I reviewed in a previous post.
Chances are you or someone close to you will have a respiratory illness this winter , illnesses we frequently just lump into the category of “colds and flu”. This usually means illnesses with some combination of these symptoms-
Sneezing, stuffy or runny nose,
coughing
sore throat, hoarseness
ear pain, fullness
fever,
body aches, fatigue,
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
headache.
We call these by various names but they have much in common, including symptoms and treatment. Let’s talk about what you can do to cope when they hit your family.
Winter illnesses commonly affect the nose, throat, sinuses, ears and lungs.
Don’t panic.
Most otherwise healthy people recover from common respiratory illnesses. You may be miserable for several days, and need several weeks to feel back to normal, but you won’t suffer any permanent harm.
Fever ,especially in children, alarms parents. Don’t ignore it but don’t panic either. Reading this post should help you keep calm about fever .
This photograph depicted a woman who was using a modern, battery-powered oral thermometer, in order to measure her body temperature. In order to return an accurate reading, this particular type of thermometer needed to be placed beneath the user’s tongue, for a set amount of time, beeping when the ambient, sublingual temperature was reached. Photo credit-James Gathany, CDC, public domain
Some people are at risk of developing severe symptoms and serious complications from respiratory illnesses, so seek medical help sooner, rather than later. These include
Infants, especially under one month old
Elderly, now a relative term, advanced age, especially combined with chronic disease
Those with chronic lung disease, like asthma, COPD, emphysema, cystic fibrosis
People on drugs that suppress the immune system
Other chronic diseases – diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease, cancer
If you are not sure if you fit into one of these categories, ask your doctor.
This is when you shouldn’t share- germs that is. These illnesses spread person to person, so minimize contact.
Keep your kids home from school and stay home from work, at least the first few days, when you are the most contagious. When there is widespread illness in your community, avoid crowds and public gatherings.
Resting, getting extra sleep, drinking fluids and staying warm and dry make staying at home therapeutic.
Wash hands.
Speaking of person to person contact, the best way to avoid getting or giving germs is to wash your hands often, but especially after being with others ,using a restroom, and before cooking or eating. Cleaning household surfaces helps too, as well as clothing and linens. Don’t forget to clean your cell phone, tablets, and keyboards too.
a common sight now in public restrooms
Use medication wisely.
Some of these illnesses have a specific medication that clear it faster- strep throat, influenza, pneumonia. The others will “run their course” and meds are used to help relieve symptoms.
Many people assume that any illness with fever, sore throat and cough will improve with an antibiotic. The fact is, most will not. Antibiotics only treat infections caused by bacteria, and most of these are caused by viruses. To learn more read about
These illnesses cause the greatest overuse of antibiotics, contribute to the cost of health care, and the development of antibiotic resistance. Please do not insist on an antibiotic if the doctor says you don’t need it; if offered an antibiotic, ask why.
Does nasal drainage and congestion need treatment with an antibiotic?
The “24 hour virus” is for the most part a myth. Expect to be ill anywhere from 3 to 10 days; some symptoms, especially cough, can linger for weeks. If you are a smoker, this is a great time to quit.
But if after 7-10 days you are getting progressively worse, instead of better, something more may be going on, so it’s wise to seek professional medical help.
I would love for you to share this information (but not our germs) on your social media pages.
And follow Watercress Words for more information, instruction, and inspirationto help you explore the HEART of HEALTH .
My favorite home remedy for a cold is a warm cup of tea,
it always makes me feel better.
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watercress words by Dr Aletha 
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