COVID 19 RESPONSE AND COMMENTS:
THE WINDS OF COVID
PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE DOCUMENT AS IT IS OF IMPORTANCE TO ALL PATIENTS!
We will be emailing you weekly during the COVID 19 PANDEMIC. We will provide you with the latest information and instructions to deal with the current outbreak as it develops in Phoenix.
The entire country has set into action a program of social distancing to decrease COVID spread and to reduce the peak of COVID activity. This will help everyone by reducing the peak incidence of COVID, yet the infection is still likely to extend beyond our capacity to respond. For this reason, it is up to each of us to make efforts to improve our own outcome, by taking proper measures for ourselves and our families. We must educate ourselves to reduce our risk…. then put that information into action.
Beyond educating ourselves, we need to take care of ourselves by maintaining good diet and exercise habits. Also, calming anxiety is critical at this time, as it is an understandable and expected part of the pandemic effect.
I have included links for ways to help with anxiety…. take a look and avail yourself of them. Just a few relaxing deep breathes can make our fears recede and calm the mind. As Churchill remarked: “Attitude is a little thing …that can make a BIG difference.”
Know that our office is responding to COVID, and we are here to help. Reach out for assistance if you are not feeling well. We will develop a plan of action for you to move forward.
Be safe,
Dr. Lakin
PS…. I’m hoping The Valley of the Sun will benefit from the upcoming warmer weather as regards COVID…but we cannot count on that. Do count on comfortable temperatures and the ability to be outside on your porch/patio or to have open windows to allow breeze and airflow. This is helpful to limit COVID transmission, so use Mother Nature when you can.
CORONAVIRUS (COVID 19) SUMMARY:
REDUCE RISK BY REDUCING CONTACT WITH THE VIRUS
REDUCE CONTACT WITH THE VIRUS BY:
1.
Washing hands frequently….20 seconds is advised, but any handwashing is helpful.
2.
Use hand cleanser in between washings
3.
Clean your cell phone daily with UV light or with a cleansing wipe.
4.
Shower or bathe daily. Twice daily if you want to feel more relaxed.
5.
Don’t Pick Nose, Rub Eyes, or Pick Teeth with your fingers
6.
Do not go out or to work if you are ill.
7.
Stay away from people who are sick with COVID
8.
Maintain social distancing practices, avoid getting within 6 feet of people (other than immediate household occupants)
9.
Domestic plane travel is to be avoided in all instances for people in the higher risk groups. If you do not have risk factors, or your travel is not of import, I would hold travel plan via plane. Travel by car instead. Higher Risk factors include:
Over 60
Hypertension
Diabetes
COPD/Asthma/Emphysema
Heart Failure
IF YOU ARE SYMPTOMATIC AND HAVE BEEN TOLD YOU MAY HAVE COVID ……BUT TESTING IS NOT AVAILABLE …….DO AS FOLLOWS:
·
Self-Quarantine for 7 days from start of illness and FOR at least 3 days after fever and major symptoms have resolved
·
Do not share a bathroom with housemates if possible. Use your own bathroom.
·
Do not share utensils with others and clean your own utensils and/ or use paper/disposable eating materials.
·
Wait 1 day to wash the clothing you wear. Clothing can be washed after sitting out for 24 hours (virus is not transmissible at that point via clothing). Others can wash your clothes
·
Avoid sharing living spaces with housemates, to the extent your living situations allows
·
Wash your hands frequently.
·
Wear a mask if you have one. Wear when with others as much as is possible.
·
Shower/bathe twice daily if possible.
LIMITED TESTING IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN OUR OFFICE
It is being done at the end of the day, in your car, by myself…. wearing protective gear. We are focusing on highly at-risk individuals with mild symptoms or patients with more significant symptoms. We are not screening asymptomatic patients.
Symptoms for testing:
·
Fever (100.4 or above) and cough (without other explanation)
·
Fever (100.4 or above) and sore throat (without other explanation)
·
Fever (100.4 or above) and chest pains (without other explanation)
·
Milder fever and symptoms with recent travel from NYC or SF/Seattle.
We have only done 25 tests and received 8 results (all negative to date). There are delays in processing currently at Sonora Quest. I anticipate with the approval of rapid analytic machines by Roche and Abbott labs that throughput will improve quickly in the next two weeks and we will see drive-thru options available in Phoenix.
IF YOUR ARE ILL AND CONCERNED YOU MAY HAVE COVID INFECTION:
Contact the office via phone or email first for instructions:
480-614-5800
Please do not walk into our office if you think you have COVID infection
. We will not see you in the office. Only in your car, and with that, you should contact the office to be seen end of day.
If you think you have COVID and are truly short of breath, you need to go to the Emergency Room, not to our office. We are not equipped to handle low oxygen levels.
CARING FOR YOURSELF IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE COVID OR IF YOU HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH COVID:
Most Common Symptoms
They consist of the same set of symptoms as the common cold/viral respiratory syndrome, but they are worse.
Common/Hallmark symptoms:
·
High fever (over 100.4, but can range from 99’s to 104+)
·
Fatigue
·
Cough
Other symptoms can include milder issues:
·
Sore Throat
·
Aching muscles throughout the body
·
Headache
·
Occasionally diarrhea …
·
Nasal congestion (occasional)
TREATMENT:
Symptomatic treatment for the most bothersome symptoms
Aches and Pains and Fever:
·
Tylenol 650
–
1000mg four times per day is preferred for treating these symptoms, but if not working well, you may use:
·
Advil (Ibuprofen 200mg), 2
–
3 tablets….2
–
3 x per day or Aleve (naproxen 220mg), 1
–
2 tablets...1
–
2 x per day,
·
Drink good amounts of clear liquids (anything you can see through)
Sore Throat:
·
Saltwater gargling
1.
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water.
2.
Gargle for 15 seconds and spit.
3.
Repeat during the day every 2
–
4 hours to relieve pain.
·
Pain relief medications: Advil (Ibuprofen 200mg), 2
–
3 tablets….2
–
3 x per day or Aleve (naproxen 220mg), 1
–
2 tablets...1
–
2 x per day, or Tylenol 650
–
1000mg four times per day.
Cough:
·
Steam: Either in the form of a hot, steamy shower or using a hot pot of water and covering with a towel and put your head under the towel. Both methods will provide humid air to the irritated air passages and soothe the cough.
·
Cough Syrup: Robitussin DM or Delsym cough syrup can be used to suppress cough.
·
You may require a prescription cough syrup with Codeine. Contact me if that is the case.
Sinus Congestion and Drainage (RARE SYMPTOM):
·
Use a decongestant such as Sudafed 30mg, 1
–
2 pills up to four times per day, or use a drying antihistamine such as Chlortrimeton 4mg, up to four times per day. Other cold medications (over the counter) can be used.
·
Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra will not work for congestion symptoms from an infection. Do Not Use.
When to Seek Medical Assistance
• There is no medication to treat this virus, so the resolution takes time.
Worsening symptoms/Signs of Complications:
• If you are getting significantly short of breath please be in touch. If progressive and worsening, you need to be seen and possibly hospitalized. Best to go to the ER if shortness of breath is a significant symptom
How Long to Recover
• The COVID is a viral infection that will generally take from 3–7 days to develop, 3-7 days to improve and then from 3-7 days to completely resolve.
IF YOUR ARE ILL AND CONCERNED YOU MAY HAVE COVID INFECTION:
Contact the office via phone or email
480-614-5800
We will contact you and review a plan of action for you.
• Since most people will have mild symptoms (80%+ will do well with cold symptoms only), very little will be done other than routine measures to treat a cold.
• If you need to be seen we will consider a video visit vs. seeing you at designated times for such visits.
FOR STRESS AND ANXIETY THAT ARE INCREASED DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC
Anxiety and stress are normal reactions to all that is going on with COVID and in the world more generally. Do not ignore this aspect of how you are feeling…attend to it so you can keep yourself psychologically centered.
Here are two resources that I think can be helpful. Please see the following links for methods to HELP ANXIETY, TENSION, and WORRY.
