04/17/2020|Inside Verizon
Answering your pandemic-related questions.
Guru speaks with Dr. Kavita Patel on this week’s Wellness Friday.
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Guru discussed wellness issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr. Kavita Patel, a Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution and a primary care physician in Washington, DC. Highlights included:
- Social distancing is working.
- Carry hand sanitizer anywhere you go; wipe handles in elevators/grocery stores
- Gloves get contaminated very easily, really are only effective at helping you avoid touching your face.
- Have a set of clean clothes and shoes in the garage that you can change into when you return home, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with warm water
- No need to move to a hotel if you are a frontline worker who tests positive.
- Anyone who can get outside walking or jogging for twenty minutes should do so.
- It’s good to wear even a non-medical mask while out of the home to protect others from you.
- If your child won’t wear a mask, try to make a game out of it or go out at alternate hours and be vigilant about maintaining distance from others.
- Threat of contamination from packages and food is quite small; you can put packages in a separate area for 24 hours. If you need something immediately, dispose of packaging/take-out boxes immediately. Wipe down counters.
- Immunity is like a drivers license: It allows you to drive safely but it wouldn’t protect you from an accident. Antibodies would likely protect you for at least a few months, but it may not protect you during the next flu season.
- If you are asmathic, be tested soon and often. Keep three months of supplies on hand.
- The US can currently run one million tests a day. That’s a small number. Establish a relationship with a healthcare provider who can get you tests.
- For mental health, remember the three “E”s: Exercise, exposure to outside air and emotional care, including seeing others via video call
- Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
Get the latest information on our Coronavirus Resource Page (Inside Verizon, The Street).
