First…Have a safe and healthy Fourth of July!!
· People, not numbers:
· We have heard from many of our positive cases they get an unusual headache early in their symptomology with COVID. This is something to pay close attention to. In a study detailed in the attached article, 13% of COVID patients experienced an unusual headache, while only 5% experienced a loss of taste or smell. Be aware that a headache that doesn’t reflect your usual headache patterns could be a sign that it’s time to get tested. The good news is that patients who experienced a headache at the start of their COVID symptoms tended to have a more localized, controlled inflammatory response than patients who didn’t. Read the attached article for the full story.
· Speaking of COVID symptoms, an unfortunate trend that we’ve been noticing lately is that people are delaying getting tested, even after experiencing symptoms for a few days. Don’t feel that you’re being alarmist by getting tested. COVID-19 is in our county and cases are growing through community spread. By NOT getting tested when you have COVID symptoms, the risk of exposing others grows, causing disruption to local businesses and reopening efforts.
o Symptoms of COVID-19 can include any single or combination of the following:
- Congestion or runny nose
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fever or chills
- Muscle pain
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
o If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms:
- Go to the NCDHHS symptom checker and respond to their questions with your symptoms. https://ncdhhs-covid19-dtra.powerappsportals.us/
- If it’s recommended that you get tested, contact your provider, or utilize the testing site info provided by the symptom-checker website.
- Whether you use your physician or another testing site, always CALL FIRST for prescreening and to be informed of the current protocols prior to your arrival.
- If you are tested, quarantine at home until you get your test results, then follow instructions accordingly when you receive your test results.
· Our best defenses against COVID-19 are still wearing a mask, social distancing, and frequenting handwashing and disinfecting of surfaces. Your mask doesn’t need to be fancy and high-tech; in fact, it may be best to keep it simple. The attached article about simple cloth masks explains why.
· Speaking of masks, they still seem to be a point of contention for many. An interesting op-ed from sportswriter Thomas Boswell is attached. It considers the disastrous economic and health effects of our lack of teamwork in confronting this crisis. If we all want to see our country recover — and sports returning is just a small part of that — follow health experts’ guidance on social distancing and crowd sizes. And for all our sake, perform an act so minimal yet as vital as life and death: Wear a mask.
