Tag Archive | Pandemic

5 Steps for Asthma & COPD Sufferers to Prepare for Coronavirus

Mar24

I have asthma and get frequent bouts of Chronic Asthmatic Bronchitis, a form of COPD.  I am not a doctor, but the following steps are what my doctors (Primary Physician, Allergist, and Pulmonologist) suggest, to prepare my lungs to fight Chronic Asthmatic Bronchitis each year. Since Coronavirus drastically affects the lungs, I am continuing this regimen, to maintain strength in my lungs, in case I am exposed to the Coronavirus.

  1. Inhalers

Prepare your lungs with inhalers (which will require a prescription from your doctor):

2 puffs a.m. and 2 puffs p.m. of a daily inhaler (Symbicort)

1 puff of a special inhaler at night (Spiriva)

Have your rescue inhaler and albuterol vials on hand, if you use a nebulizer at home, as well as Montelukast and allergy/cold medication.

Use an Aerochamber device to deliver the meds into your lungs.  Doctors say that the Aerochamber used for delivery is more effective than using just an inhaler alone.

  1. Food

Eat healthy foods (vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy, and healthy carbs).  A low-fat diet has been said to boost immunities, as well as eating citrus fruits, greens, broccoli, yogurt, nuts, garlic and ginger.

  1. Supplements

Boost your immune systems.  Take vitamins C, D, E, Zinc, and Beta-Carotene to prepare your body to fight infection. You can even go as far as taking Probiotics, Elderberry, Cold-Eeze, Oscillococcinum, or Echinacea, which are not scientifically proven to prevent infection; but many people believe they do.

  1. Rest

Rest as much as possible, so your body is prepared to fight any infection that comes along.  Try to relax using meditation, quiet time, music, reading, or coloring.  These are stressful times, and relaxation is important, in order to maintain body strength.

  1. Preventative Measures

Take the preventative measures recommended for everyone (hand-washing, social distancing, cover a cough or sneeze, don’t touch your face).

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor; I am a patient.  Please discuss these steps with your own doctor(s) to see if they are right for you.

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8 Innovative Ways to Socially Isolate to Avoid Coronavirus

Mar13

At a time when we’re all feeling a bit confused about how seriously to take the Coronavirus situation, it is time to take action.  The virus actually kills 3% of people who contract it…that’s 3 out of every 100 people.  To put that into perspective, imagine if you have 600 Facebook friends and we all get the virus (which is very likely)… this means 18 of your friends will DIE from it.  This is not panic, and it’s not over-reacting.  This is a PANDEMIC.  Here are 8 ways to change your lifestyle, to help avoid contracting the Coronavirus.

Restaurants

Stop eating out. Stock up on groceries using the Walmart, Target, or Amazon apps, and cook at home.

Shopping

Order groceries on the Walmart or Target app, to pick up, instead of shopping in-store.  Order from retailers using their online sites, rather than going in-store; and order everything else from Amazon or other online websites.

Banking

Change to online banking (direct deposit, make payments online, transfer money online).

Deposit checks using your banking app. (This works by taking a photo of your check, in the app.  Pretty high-tech!)

Prescriptions

Transfer prescriptions to an online pharmacy. (Contact your insurance company to find out which pharmacy to use.)  Call your doctor and request additional refills to be sent to the online pharmacy.

Personal hygiene

Discontinue personal hygiene appointments away from home, as it involves close bodily contact.  (For example, manicures, pedicures, eyelash extensions, tanning, massage, facials, and even haircuts and coloring.)  Do these at home.

Pets

Order extra pet food and medicines; and find a veterinarian who makes house calls.

Car Maintenance                                                                              

Before Coronavirus gets worse in your area, get your oil and/or tires changed now; and start washing your car at home, rather than using a public Car Wash.

All Else

Avoid trips to the dry cleaner by wearing washable clothes, or ironing at home.

If you have an errand you must run outside the home, Google it first, to see if it can be done online.  Errands like car registration, renewing a driver’s license, ordering stamps, and printing labels to mail packages can all be done online.

Social isolation is the key to avoiding the Coronavirus.  Although some of us work in fields where we must leave our homes, if we take the measures above, we can at least limit our exposure to the Coronavirus.