Coronavirus is here. We don’t want to add to the panic, but do want to share the basic recommendations that we should all follow to minimize exposure.
From the CDC:
Take the following everyday precautions
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Clean your hands often. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc.
Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something. Wash your hands as soon as possible after touching surfaces in public places.
Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks and cell phones).
Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick.
Avoid all non-essential travel including plane trips, and especially avoid embarking on cruise ships.
Additional Recommendations:
NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, or just skip it. Everyone understands and we are all in this.
Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc..
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. This is especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors. After using a public bathroom, wash hands, use a paper towel to dry hands and then use the paper towel to open the bathroom door to exit.
Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
Wash your hands whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been. This can’t be overemphasized how this basic practice reduces exposure.
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 an infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
Keep yourself up to date on the pandemic and the government recommendations. Here are some links to good resources for further information:
University of Maryland. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/infectious-disease-topics/covid-19
US Centers for Disease Control https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html
Connecticut Department of Public Health. https://portal.ct.gov/coronavirus
Town of West Hartford. https://www.westhartfordct.gov/gov/departments/fire/emergencymgt/coronavirus_(covid_19).asp
John's Hopkins University page. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/
Medical Care:
If you are concerned that you have been exposed or are exhibiting symptoms, call the office of your primary care physician to determine next steps.
At Bloom Natural Health, we will continue to see healthy individuals in our office for wellness appointments.
We request that folks with cough, fever or other symptoms of acute viral illness please call our office at 860-310-5559 to schedule a phone consultation and not present in person for the safety of others.
If you are homebound you may make a phone visit follow up.
Most telephone consults will not be covered by insurance unless the insurance companies make an emergency provision to allow for coverage.