General Wellness

Well, it happened. 

It is unfortunately President Trump and the First Lady’s turn to deal with the virus.

I can’t say I am surprised given his attitude and behavior.

I wish him well in his recovery.

He was witness to Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s equally irresponsible behavior and then he caught the virus, even landing him in the ICU for a few days apparently narrowly avoiding needing to be on a ventilator. Mr. Johnson changed his attitude about Covid and the need for PPE pretty quickly.

Our president did not learn from others’ mistakes.

As we get more and more information about the situation and his behavior around the time of his exposure, how he behaves is crucial in how he, and the rest of the country, move forward.

In my opinion, his example as our leader has been embarrassing and irresponsible.

He has an opportunity to change that, at least a little bit, but I am not holding my breath.

What should have happened?

As soon as anyone in his entourage tested positive, which apparently was identified a whole day before he was tested, he should have been quarantined. Anyone immediately exposed to someone who has coronavirus MUST quarantine for 14 days. That is the responsible thing to do. That is what we do and require our employees to do.

He, however, did not do the right thing. Instead,  he travelled to NJ for his rally and now, probably 100’s of people need to quarantine, if they are responsible and do the right thing.

If you become actually infected, on the other hand, you must ISOLATE. There is a difference between quarantine and isolation.

Isolation means NO contact with anyone other than essential personnel. Anything other than that is not only irresponsible, it is unethical and, in my opinion, criminal.

There are many stories of people, despite knowing they are infected, continuing to go about their business without any concern for others. Parents sending Covid positive kids to school or to team games. The stories are numerous and, to me, shocking.

If we are to get past this with as little morbidity and mortality, we know what we need to do. It’s painful. It’s uncomfortable. It’s exhausting. But it’s necessary.

DISTANCE. Physical distancing, not social distancing. We need each other. 

WEAR A MASK. Wear an effective one and wear it correctly. 

WASH YOUR HANDS. Don’t rely on hand sanitizers unless it’s an emergency. DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE.  

VENTILATE.  

VACCINATE. 

GET HEALTHY.  

Stay safe and be well.  

AC 😎✌️🌱❤🐖🏃🏻🧘🏻‍♂️🌎😷

YES. 

EVERYONE! ALL AGES. Not just kids, older people, healthcare workers or immunocompromised people. The only exception is anyone who had a legitimate reaction to the vaccine in the past. Such reactions include some sort of autoimmune reaction or neurological problems like Guillain Barre Syndrome. Having had some side effects like aches, pains or fever are common after any vaccination. You can’t get the flu from the vaccine so that doesn’t count! Egg allergy also does not count either. There is no risk with egg allergy.

The simple fact is that people can really get sick from the flu and many people die. Death from the flu is regularly one of the top 10 causes of death in the US. During the 2019-2020 flu season, 56 million Americans got the flu and 62,000 died. 80,000 dies in the 2017-2018 season.

If the flu vaccine works, why did so many Americans get sick with it? First of all, fewer than 50% of Americans got vaccinated. Secondly, it’s efficacy varies. Last year’s vaccine was only 45% effective. But 45% is better than 0%. In addition, those vaccinated may have a significantly less severe bout or may prevent someone from dying. In addition, studies show that those who get vaccinated have a lower heart attack and stroke.

As we move into flu season, Australia is moving out of it. They had a significant reduction in their flu infections. In the month of August, they only had 100 cases whereas last year, they had 61,000! That is a dramatic reduction. However, Australians are doing a much better job at the basics: distancing, wearing masks and washing their hands. Many more Australians also get immunized. 

WHY CAN’T WE LEARN FROM OTHERS? 

Oh, I know! They don’t have Democrats or Republicans in Australia and we all know that Covid is a political conspiracy!!! 

You should get the vaccine as soon as possible. First, flu season starts in October and it takes 2 weeks to kick in. Second, there may be a run on the flu vaccine once the poop hits the fan which could result in shortages. Getting it now will cover you all season long.

Another reason to get the vaccine is that it is difficult to differentiate the flu from Covid-19. If you have had the flu vaccine and develop symptoms, there may be more confidence in treating you as if you have Covid. Treating sooner leads to improved outcomes. As an FYI, the flu vaccine won’t protect you against Covid-19. However, if you get Covid-19 along with the flu or soon after recovering from the flu with a weakened immune system, you may have a significantly harsher course or suffer a complication.

Let’s be less like us and more like the Australian’s.

And let’s throw some tofu on the barbie mate 😉 

DISTANCE. Physical distancing, not social distancing. We need each other. 

WEAR A MASK.Wear an effective one and wear it correctly. 

WASH YOUR HANDS. Don’t rely on hand sanitizers unless it’s an emergency. DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE.  

VENTILATE.  

VACCINATE. 

GET HEALTHY.  

Stay safe and be well.  

AC 😎✌️🌱❤🐖🏃🏻🧘🏻‍♂️🌎😷