I was going through my emails the other day and I came across one that reminded me of everything going on with the COVID-19 pandemic. It stated: Dear Life: When I said “can my day get any worse”, it was a rhetorical question, not a challenge. We still have to follow the social distancing, and avoid large groups, and if going out, the CDC still recommends people wearing masks. Some days are tougher than others. Many facts, and myths, are going around. Listening to the news, and especially Facebook, you don’t always hear the truth. So, to start off with, some facts.
Symptoms of COVID-19 that truly have the most significance include cough, or Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing. These are the two main symptoms when considering testing. Other symptoms to consider include: Fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and new loss of taste of smell. We have to consider all things when deciding on who to test. We also have to consider who has had exposure to someone that they know of who has tested positive. Two kinds of tests are available for COVID-19: viral tests, and antibody tests. A viral test tells you if you have a current infection. It is a nasal swab. An antibody test might tell you if you had a previous infection, but a “positive” test is difficult to interpret due to the variable performance of the antibody test currently available. This one is a blood test.
You also hear of the terms isolation and quarantine. Isolation is for people who are already sick. It means isolating, or separating yourself from others to reduce the potential of the spread of the disease. Quarantine is for people who are not sick, but may have been exposed. They must stay at home, or another location, so they don’t unknowingly spread the disease. There are recommendations in regards to the decision to discontinue isolation that should be made in the context of local circumstances. These are taken directly from the Department of Health:
- Time-since-illness-onset and time-since-recovery strategy: Persons with COVID-19 who have symptoms and were directed to care for themselves at home may discontinue isolation under the following conditions: –At least 3 days (72 Hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever reducing medications AND Improvement of symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, etc), AND at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
- Persons with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who have NOT had any symptoms may discontinue isolation when: at least 10 days have passed since the date of their first positive COVID-19 diagnostic test and have had no subsequent illness provided they remain asymptomatic. For 3 days following discontinuation of isolation, these persons should continue to limit contact (stay 6 feet apart) and wear a face mask to limit dispersal of respiratory secretions.
- Individuals with suspected COVID-19 who have stayed home (home isolation) can stop home isolation after 3 things have happened: You have no fever for at least 72 hours without the use of any medicines to reduce fevers, AND you have had improvement of symptoms, AND at least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.
If you have fever with symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, etc) but have not been exposed to someone with COVID-19, and have not tested positive for COVID-19, you should stay home away from others until 72 hours after the fever and symptoms get better.
You have heard Governor Noem state many times that this COVID-19 pandemic is a marathon. I cannot think of a better description for this pandemic. For those of you who are not familiar with what a marathon truly is, let me explain. I have done multiple marathons in the past, and until you have done one, you truly do not know what this entails. This is also a perfect description of this pandemic. A marathon is not something you just jump into. It is 26.2 miles! Getting ready to run one can take 4 months, and even as long as a year. This is what we have been doing now in regards to this pandemic. Then the day finally comes and you think you are ready. The marathon starts, and it takes that first 5 or 6 miles to even get into a groove. Then you start feeling a little bit more comfortable and start finding your pace as you are building up with it. From mile 10-15 you are kind of in cruise control, and everything is going along fine. You get past mile 15, and then you start feeling it. Things start getting tougher. Your mind starts wandering a little bit more. You wonder if you have done enough to be prepared for everything of this. You keep pushing it, and then you get to mile 20. Things have been going along ok, and then just like that, it feels like you just got smacked with a 2 x 4. You only have 6.2 miles to go, but that 6.2 miles feels like another 20! This is where it gets tough. You are now monitoring things by the quarter mile, and half mile intervals, trying to get your way through it, and to convince yourself that you can do it. You get to the point where you do not think that you can finish. And then, finally, you get there. You feel relief…exhaustion…and the feeling of a huge sense of accomplishment that you did it. Just like we have all been doing during this pandemic. Where are we at in this marathon pandemic right now? I don’t know, but I think somewhere in that mile 10-15 where we are on cruise control. But, it is not over by any stretch of the imagination. It is still coming, and the numbers have been picking up. We need to focus, and hang on. The tough part is coming. Don’t let your guard down now. This is a marathon like no other…one that we have never experienced before. Finishing a marathon is a state of mind that says anything is possible. So, overall, while we are going through this, be somebody who makes everybody feel like somebody!
There will be light at the end of the tunnel! Keep going forward. Stay focused. And…keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of New Streak: # 421
