Manataba Messenger

Page 11 NEWS BRIEFS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 Here's everything you need to know about social distancing Should I wear a face mask in public? Probably not. Masks keep germs in by preventing sick people from coughing or sneezing into the air. But they don't protect healthy people from coming into contact with those germs. Sick people should stay home and avoid in-person con- tact with others until they've recovered. If available, sick people and those who live with them can wear masks at home, the CDC says. Can I exercise? Yes -- outdoors or at home. It's not a good idea to visit a gym, though. Distance is key. Going on a secluded run, walk or bike ride are fine ways to stay active out- side -- just maintain at least six feet of distance from other people. At home, for those with good internet connection, you can download exercise videos or apps and follow their instructions -- they're usually designed with minimal equipment in mind. Can I go to the doctor or dentist? Not unless you have an urgent appointment or are seeking help due to coronavirus symptoms. It's best to cancel any appointments or elective proce- dures that aren't critical, says Dr. Carla Perissinotto, associate professor at the University of California-San Francisco's Department of Medicine. If you do have a critical appointment, ask your provider about telehealth appointments that don't require you to come into an office. If you think you're experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, call a physician before showing up at an office so you don't put yourself and others at a higher risk of infec- tion. Can I visit older family members? You shouldn't. Adults over 60 are at a higher risk of serious infection from Covid-19, and you could unwit- tingly infect them. The best thing older adults can do is stay home and away from others as much as possible. Keep in touch with them over the phone or with video calls. If they live nearby, offer to help them with gro- ceries or medications they may need while home. Can my friends come over? They shouldn't. Visitors aren't a great idea right now, Ompad said, even if they are your friends. But distancing yourself doesn't mean you have to be lonely. Instead, host video hangouts with friends or call them regularly. If you have a good internet connection Facetime is an excellent option. It allows your family to see you and this really helps in terms of reassurance. "Social distancing does not mean social isolation. It's really important we maintain our social connections," Ompad says. Can I schedule playdates for my kids? No. Kids aren't considered a high-risk group for Covid- 19, but they can still spread the virus. It's not yet clear how infectious they are, so it's best to keep children apart from each other and, if possible, out of your home. Plus, kids might not heed the six-feet distance or constant hand-washing rules. "We know that kids touch each other and rough house with each other, and so we really want to be mindful about reducing that interpersonal contact and any potential spread," says Dr. Asaf Bitton of Ariadne Labs, a health innovation center. Where can my kids play? Going outside is still okay -- just supervise your chil- dren to make sure they keep their distance from other kids, Ompad says. If you don't have a backyard, large parks where you can maintain a significant distance from other families should be fine. But avoid playgrounds, where germs can lurk on slides and swings, she says. Can I take my kids to daycare/babysitter? If it's your only option, then yes. But before you do, call the daycare center or meet with staff to ensure they're implementing social distancing measures. If you urgently need child care, ask a healthy family member to watch your child and maintain proper dis- tancing measures. If you work with a regular babysitter or nanny, use caution. They should be keeping them- selves healthy on their own, but may be putting them- selves at risk while commuting to work. Do I need to distance myself from my child? Probably not, Ompad says, unless either of you are showing symptoms of sickness. Under most circum- stances, if you and your child are living in the same home, you don't need to keep six feet of distance. But if possible, limit excessive physical contact. If my family member or roommate works in health care, do I need to distance myself from them? Health care workers are at a higher risk of infection, so it's wise to distance yourself from them. How long will we have to keep social distancing? Probably for several months. But we may have to do it over and over again, since the outbreak could come in waves. Research by the Imperial College in Great Britain "would suggest you have to institute these kinds of measures for five months, very vigorously," says Gounder, the infectious disease specialist. "And then you may be able to relax for a period. And then you would re-institute as the cases go up again. But we're basically looking at doing this over and over and over again, even after a five-month period of strict social distancing, in order to curb cases until we have a vaccine." Coronavirus Outbreak: Live Updates www.healthlinenews.com —The new coronavirus disease outbreak, initially iden- tified in China, is continuing to grow more than 3 months after it was first detected in December. —The disease is called COVID-19 and is caused by infection from the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which is one of multiple coronaviruses that can infect humans. —Other examples include SARS, MERS, and even the common cold. COVID-19 reported cases so far Globally, more than 303,000 people have contracted the virus in 167 countries and regions. More than 12,000 deaths have occurred. U.S. cases have now topped 24,000 with 285 deaths. Cases have been found in all 50 states. Due to limited testing supplies, health experts believe the number of U.S. people with the disease is likely much higher. FEMA declares New York a “disaster area” as cases top 11,000 in the state New York City has become the new epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak with more than 6,000 reported cases. The entire state of New York now has over 11,000 cases with 56 deaths, nearly half of the cases for the entire United States. On Friday, Mar. 20, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared a “disaster dec- laration” for New York. The declaration will free up bil- lions of federal funds to fight the ongoing outbreak. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the Army Corps of Engineers are looking at convention centers and other universities as temporary hospitals. Cuomo said the state is going to send 1 million N95 masks to New York City today. Additionally, the state has identified 2,000 ventilators around the world they want to purchase. Despite the aid, there are widespread reports of hospi- tals rationing medical equipment like face masks and the potential to run out of ventilators that could help keep critically ill patients alive. In New York City, hos- pitals report running out of beds and supplies with a crush of patients arriving with symptoms. State Department issues warning against Americans traveling abroad, border with Mexico is closed The State Department is issuing a Level 4 order that Americans avoid travel abroad. Level 4 is the highest warning issued by the state department. The news comes as COVID-19 cases in the United States and abroad keep rising. Additionally, on Mar. 20, President Trump said that the United States and Mexico have jointly decided to close the border to nonessential travel as COVID-19 contin- ues to spread. The news comes the same day that the U.S. border with Canada is also expected to close down to nonessential travel. There will be some exceptions made and trade will not be impacted by the order. NY governor orders all nonessential workers to stay home The state of New York is now home to nearly half of the nation’s COVID-19 cases. The governor is now order- ing everyone who’s not working in an essential busi- ness — such as a grocery store, pharmacy, or hospital — to stay home. “Essential services need to continue to function, gro- cery stores need food, pharmacies need drugs, your internet has to continue to work, water has to turn on,” Cuomo said. “When I talk about the most drastic action we can take, this is the most drastic action we can take.”Additionally, the governor is banning nonessen- tial gatherings of any size and telling people over 70 to stay home except for a solitary walk or exercise out- doors. Entire state of California gets “stay at home” order California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday, Mar. 19 that he will implement a “stay at home” order that effectively puts a state of nearly 40 million people into lockdown. The news comes the same day that Newsom said in a letter that “56 percent” of state residents could contract COVID-19 if no steps were taken to stop the disease. “If we meet this moment we can truly bend the curve,” Newsom said, referencing the need to stop high levels of severe infection that would overwhelm the health- care system. Later the governor explained, “we are not victims of fate or circumstance.” Exemptions to the order would be made for people who need to go to the grocery store, go to the pharma- cy, or attend to other essentials. CONTINUED PAGE 12