Hopefully, one day we Boomers will look at this time of lack of information, lack of testing available, and lack of consistent knowledge and breathe a sigh of relief that it passed. However, right now we are like we were when we were expectant parents in the 1970’s – with little information and praying for a healthy baby. Those of us lucky enough to have parents alive are especially concerned with the deaths in the Washington state nursing home. Our GG (great grandmother) is in an independent living facility. We are not only worried about ourselves but for her. Until we have more credible information, we are staying home as much as possible. But staying home, we are bombarded by emails with advice. We do not know if the advice is credible either; however, we are told to pass it along. Here is a compilation of the advice this Grandma has received.
There may be only one thing new on the compilation, but even one thing new to you may be important to keep you safe. I hope you have received all of it, but if not, I hope it helps. Please pass it along. We Boomers, who perceive ourselves forever young, must now face that we are in the high risk group.
PREVENTION FOR FLU AND CORONAVIRUS AND FOR GENERAL HEALTH
The precautions are the same for flu and Coronavirus, and always now for us Boomers who seem to be at higher risk for disease:
NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
Use ONLY your KNUCKLE to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
OPEN doors with your closed FIST OR HIP – do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.
USE DISINFECTANT WIPES the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
WASH YOUR HANDS WHEN YOU ENTER YOUR HOME. Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.
USE HAND SANITIZER. Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home’s entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can’t immediately wash your hands.
USE DISPOSABLE TISSUES. If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COLD AND CORONAVIRUS
If you have a runny nose and sputum, you have a common cold.
Coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough with no runny nose.
Coronavirus is not heat-resistant and will be killed by a temperature of just 79/80 degrees. Fahrenheit. It hates the Sun.
WHERE IT LANDS
This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average – everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.
If someone sneezes with it, it takes about 10 feet before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne.
If it drops on a metal surface it will live for at least 12 hours – so if you come into contact with any metal surface – wash your hands as soon as you can with an anti- bacterial soap.
On fabric it can survive for 6-12 hours. normal laundry detergent will kill it.
WHAT TO DO AS PREVENTION
Wash your hands frequently as the virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 minutes, but – a lot can happen during that time – you can rub your eyes, pick your nose unwittingly and so on.
Gargle as a prevention. A simple solution of salt in warm water will suffice.
Drink plenty of water. Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink liquids with ice.
Avoid going out if not necessary, much less crowds. Fortunately, we have movies and television. We have the internet, but, under the circumstances, that is stressful and worrisome.
THE SYMPTOMS
SORE THROAT FIRST. It will first infect the throat, so you’ll have a sore throat lasting three to four days.
RESPIRATORY. The virus then blends into a nasal fluid that enters the trachea and then the lungs, causing pneumonia. This takes about five to six days further.
HIGH FEVER AND DIFFICULTY BREATHING. With the pneumonia comes high fever and difficulty in breathing.
NASAL CONGESTION. The nasal congestion is not like the normal kind. You feel like you’re drowning. It’s imperative you then seek immediate attention.
SUPPLIES TO HAVE ON HAND AS HIGH RISK
Latex or nitrile latex DISPOSABLE GLOVES (appropriate size for your family) for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas.
DISPOSABLE SURGICAL MASKS and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you – it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth – it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.
HAND SANITIZERS. The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.
ZINC LOZENGES. These lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY “cold-like” symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.
WHY? Not only that we Boomers are in the high risk group, but most of us have something that makes us immune compromised. There will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection within us.
STAY SAFE AND PASS THIS BLOG POST ALONG TO OTHERS!
Mema
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