ADDENDUM. I was going to post this earlier but other things popped up. Covid-19 case numbers are again on the rise, not just in the majority of US states but also in 80% of European cities leading to re-instituted lockdown measures.
Hospitals are strained here and abroad, in many places running out of ICU beds already. It’s looking like the spring all over again. Despite that, below is the post. I would only add that you should now try to avoid crowds, especially inside. Keep your interactions limited to a close group of people, your own “bubble” with adequate ventilation. We are headed towards another lockdown.
ORIGINAL POST
One of lifestyle medicine pioneers Dr. Dean Ornish’s pillars of health is “LOVE More”. The other three are “EAT Well”, “MOVE more” and “STRESS less”. His studies, as well as Dan Buettner’s studies of the “Blue Zone” societies, where people have the longest life spans along with the best health spans, have clearly shown how important social connections are in promoting health, happiness, vitality and longevity. A recent book by Marta Zaraska, “Growing Young: How Friendship, Optimism, and Kindness Can Help You Live to 100”, outlines the importance of social interaction and its impact on health and longevity and how it’s even more important than what you eat or how often you exercise. She reports that building a strong support network of family and friends lowers mortality risk by about 45% whereas exercise lowers that risk by 23-33% and eating 6 servings of fruit and vegetables per day can cut premature death by 26%.
One of the unfortunate side effects of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the resultant isolation many feel and now, outright paranoia about personal interactions. I have met many patients, have family and friends, who have told me that they have basically not left the house or interacted with anyone else, or with an extremely limited number of people, since all this began now coming on 9 months ago. No eating out. Limited essential shopping. No get-togethers. No strolling at the mall or even outdoors on a trail. Yes, all of these situations increase the risks of getting infected, but the isolation is starting to raise even greater health risks. Anxiety levels have quadrupled and depression and suicide are on the rise since all this started. People’s behavior around each other is strained and awkward.
The bottom line is that we need to socialize and interact, just do it in an intelligent and careful way. We evolved in social groups, relying on each other, and we need each other more than ever now.
The saddest part of our administration’s failure in promoting the health benefits of mask wearing and physical distancing is that it has made people even more paranoid as the number of infections and deaths keep rising. There have been documented infections from just about every rally and mass gathering, where the basics were not followed.
We need to get out and mingle, albeit in a new way, for now. There are ways of doing it safely. We know that the likelihood of catching covid from food is remote. The likelihood of catching it from mail and packages is also remote. Follow the basics and you diminish the risks of catching it dramatically. There is no such thing as NO RISK. But sitting at home, not interacting, also poses risks. You could fall down the stairs, cut your head on a cabinet door, have a blood clot from laying around on the couch, ALL remote possibilities, but not impossible. In 2019, 40,000 people died in car accidents in the US and 4.4 million suffered injuries bad enough to seek medical attention. 34,000 died as a result of falls.
The point is that there are risks just being alive. It’s all about mitigating those risks and isolating ourselves, although important in some situations, is not good for too long.
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
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