Originally published in Hideaway Lake News on Dec 27, 2020
COVID-19 cases continue to rise in our community, as it has in the rest of the nation, with the holiday season and the colder weather. Although death rates from COVID have generally declined since the early days, the number of cases have risen so dramatically that our hospitals are starting to fill up to capacity. What does this actually mean for you? Clearly, if you get really sick with COVID, there may not be a bed available for you at the hospital. But if you get sick with something else like a heart attack or appendicitis, you may still not get adequate care because of shortage of beds and staff. So this affects all of us, not just those who get COVID.
Our health care workers are exhausted, both physically and mentally. They have been on a long and difficult road for nine months and they have several darker months up ahead. Let us make every effort to not overwhelm our hospital staff by reducing viral spread in the next critical months. We just need to hang in there with tighter controls for a little bit longer until the most vulnerable can be vaccinated. And that may start as soon as the end of the year! In the meantime here are some tips to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
- If you get tested for the virus because you have symptoms or you were told you were a close contact of someone who tested positive, then PLEASE stay home as soon as you get tested and while you are waiting for your results.
- If you choose to dine with a small group of people (2-4) not in your household, do not sit at a cafe or restaurant table. It does not allow for 6 feet of social distancing as you eat, drink, laugh and make merry without masks for an hour or more. Instead, entertain at home, outdoors if the weather allows. If you have a large dining table that allows six feet of separation, then eat at the table. Otherwise take a plate and distance around the room with individual TV trays. Get take out from your local restaurants so you can support them while still staying safe.
- Exercise outdoors if possible, put a treadmill or exercise bike indoors, or walk up and down the stairs. Avoid going to a gym, especially during the months of peak spread. Join a virtual gym class so you feel connected and motivated, while supporting your local gym instructors financially.
- Avoid personal grooming services such as hair coloring, perming etc. that take more than a few minutes of up-close time with your service provider. Shampoo your hair at home and go for a quick cut or a trim. This way you can still support your stylist, while minimizing your exposure. Call ahead and make sure your salon is requiring its providers to wear masks, it protects not only you, but your stylist as well. Remember, they are getting up-close and personal!
- And lastly, please avoid all large family gatherings such as birthday parties and holiday parties. Just postpone them by a few months to when the numbers go down and our hospitals are not busting at the seams. These are the riskiest of events because they could turn into a superspreader event and very quickly overwhelm small local hospitals with limited resources. Have a virtual party, send online gifts, open them together. I know it’s not the same thing, but it’s a small price to pay.
There is certainly a light at the end of the tunnel with three very effective vaccines already available. Some countries have started vaccination programs, ours could start within a matter of weeks. We just need to work hard together for a little bit longer so we can all make it through safely during these very difficult times.
Here’s to a less eventful, healthier and happier 2021!