Please share information with everyone. We have to protect ourselves and get informed- our federal government is not going to protect us in the time that is necessary to prevent the loss of many lives. We have to act together as a Community to protect our loved ones.
Restrict travel, avoid crowds, wash hands, sterilize door knobs, light switches, & prepare to be at home for 2 weeks. Restricted travel will slow the spread of the virus, and allow self-quarantined families time to exhibit symptoms and manage their immediate health and welfare.
This is information I am sharing based on my experience from developing symptoms of COVID 19 in King Co. WA. February 9, 2020. I was not allowed to be tested for the virus.
1.Common Sense Precautions:
Wash hands immediately before and after coming home.
Socially distance yourself when in public and at home.
Self-quarantine yourself with the first sign of congestion.
Wash hands immediately before and after coming home.
Socially distance yourself when in public and at home.
Self-quarantine yourself with the first sign of congestion.
Wipe the backs and sides of chairs, anything that people touch- wipe down with an antiviral cleaning agent.
Everyone take precaution in your house. They are all suspect and should limit travel.
Absolutely do not go to work if you feel it coming on.
Everyone take precaution in your house. They are all suspect and should limit travel.
Absolutely do not go to work if you feel it coming on.
Symptoms: heavy congestion develops in chest, copious viscous mucus, then fever, body ache (I had stiff neck) for 2-4 days, dehydration, and a persistent, dry, ineffective cough that doesn't dislodge the thick mucus blocking your airways.
Your body response is to cough because your airway is getting blocked, and as you gasp for air, your body compels you to cough out. Some people report only having a high fever that have tested positive, here in Seattle.
I took cold/flu meds -nighttime, all day and night for 3 days. I used 2 boxes of tissue for just me. I laid low, slept as much as possible, and rode it out. The dry, persistent cough lasted for 18 days from symptom onset.
I did not take my temperature but I did experience fever and night sweating up until day 4. I kept a cold-air humidifier in the room where I was spending time, running non-stop. I ate soup, and drank not enough water.
I experienced dehydration and recommend drinking as much water as recommended for your size & do not drink alcohol. Do not smoke. Your lungs will not be able to handle it. If you have difficulty with refraining from those vices, please plan an alternative to mitigate cravings.
That is how I managed. Each of you will need to make the decision that is right for your health and circumstance.
2.I recommend:
SelfQ: self-quarantine for 14-18 days post-symptom onset.
Use a cold-air humidifier day/night or steam of any sort.
Have an inhaler or albuterol and a nebulizer on hand for the number of people who are older or vulnerable
SelfQ: self-quarantine for 14-18 days post-symptom onset.
Use a cold-air humidifier day/night or steam of any sort.
Have an inhaler or albuterol and a nebulizer on hand for the number of people who are older or vulnerable
Eat hot soup. Hot soup and broth, from my freezer, saved me.
Drink water. Force yourself to drink plenty of water. You won’t feel like it, you will be too weak. Make yourself.
Don’t panic. Use common sense. Don’t rush to get tested and risk spreading it.
Drink water. Force yourself to drink plenty of water. You won’t feel like it, you will be too weak. Make yourself.
Don’t panic. Use common sense. Don’t rush to get tested and risk spreading it.
If you don’t need immediate help, don’t risk going to get validated. Plus, if you test positive, are they going to send you home, or hold you there? I wanted to be at home in my own bed, and I didn’t want to take up a bed when I didn’t need to.
Call your doctor and report your symptoms, if it is not an immediate emergency. They will provide guidance. It may take hours for someone to get back to you.
Have ph # of nearest hospital on hand and ready, and a back-up ER department ph # that might have more resources.
Have ph # of nearest hospital on hand and ready, and a back-up ER department ph # that might have more resources.
Call local ER before leaving for hospital, if you are having difficulty breathing. Don’t wait for your doctor to get back to you, they will all be too busy to respond in time.
Order food/ supplies online when possible
Help each other
Order food/ supplies online when possible
Help each other
Contact your neighbors, especially the elderly, and offer assistance if needed, while limiting exposure (no hand shaking, stay outside, etc.).
Keep soup on hand, comfort foods, prepared in advance and ready to heat up.
Avoid eating food that induces coughing in you, or smoking.
Going to the hospital with your cough will spread it.
Avoid eating food that induces coughing in you, or smoking.
Going to the hospital with your cough will spread it.
You can’t stop dry-coughing. Don’t go to the hospital unless it is a medical emergency or unless you have underlying health issues or are elderly. It is a difficult call, to be honest. I am 54 and felt like I could handle it.
3 times the cough nearly made me pass out. Those three times I regretted not going to Urgent Care. All three times it was when I was eating something. Any time other than those times, I felt like the cough was persistent but manageable. It’s your call, and nobody else’s.
3.Develop a plan for your family:
3.1 Consider your individual situation, your underlying health issues, who is most vulnerable in your family, who will need hospitalization with certainty, among you.
3.1 Consider your individual situation, your underlying health issues, who is most vulnerable in your family, who will need hospitalization with certainty, among you.
Develop a plan just like you would for earthquake, fire or flood. What will you do if so-and-so gets it? Play that game, prepare.
3.2 Limit contact
Socially distance everyone in household for up to 6 days in order to limit spread within your own family until symptoms present in those that have been exposed. It is community wide, so anyone who has been in public does not know if they have been exposed.
Socially distance everyone in household for up to 6 days in order to limit spread within your own family until symptoms present in those that have been exposed. It is community wide, so anyone who has been in public does not know if they have been exposed.
You don’t know, until you know. And then, you don’t know if it is a regular cold, flu or if you are getting COVID 19. It doesn’t matter, however. Treat it as if it is COVID 19 and self-quarantine or quarantine your family member.
3.3 Chose 1 person in family who is younger, healthier, and capable, & train that person to be the person to help the sick people. They should be capable and equipped to prevent getting it (latex gloves, sufficient mask, wash hands, hold your breath when entering room, ...
...whatever works, do the best you can and take it seriously). Treat that person as soft Q, limit contact with that person and the least healthy of you in your family. That means elderly, immune-suppressed, and people with heart disease and diabetes, among others.
3.4 Chill.
Don’t use the time, unfortunately, to play cards or board games because you will be not practicing social distancing.
nstead, pull out your books and migrate to your designated rooms for some much needed PEACE.
Don’t use the time, unfortunately, to play cards or board games because you will be not practicing social distancing.
nstead, pull out your books and migrate to your designated rooms for some much needed PEACE.
I am at day 32 with my 24 year old son and things are getting tense. As we are forced to be around one another, I a sure that there will be many tales to tell. And life continues, we still have nagging bills AND have unfinished projects at home that are glaring us in the face.
I filed paperwork- low energy work. I don’t recommend it, I can’t find anything now. I must have been delirious. Rest. Meditate, breathe slowly in and out, to strengthen you lungs and to reduce anxiety. Read that book you have been wanting to read.
China had entire families perish, sons and daughters in their 50’s, caring for their elderly parents, and they all got it, according to one account. This was in Hubei Province, where rushing to the overwhelmed hospital helped spread it.
There wasn’t enough respiratory equipment to help everyone so a lot of people stayed home and died, while trying to take care of one another. This is tragic. We must act.
4. Considerations:
As testing increases, so will confirmed cases.
Unconfirmed cases that were never reported bc:
•they didn't meet the criteria for being tested
•had mild symptoms and didn't suspect
•went to doctor and were not tested for flu or flu test negative
As testing increases, so will confirmed cases.
Unconfirmed cases that were never reported bc:
•they didn't meet the criteria for being tested
•had mild symptoms and didn't suspect
•went to doctor and were not tested for flu or flu test negative
These unreported cases should be but are impossible to include in the death rate calculation.
Computer models grapple with this when reporting death rate in influenza and other diseases every year.
death rate = # died / # contracted.
Computer models grapple with this when reporting death rate in influenza and other diseases every year.
death rate = # died / # contracted.
In other words, don't panic when the # of confirmed goes up in your County. We can look at it as giving us a clearer picture of the death rate, which will be much lower than when you are only reporting # deaths/ # critically sick that were able to get tested.
Connect with your Community and Share, Inform, & Support:
Use the NextDoor website (if available where you live) to connect to and inform your community.
I started an information thread and we share information and offer help to those who need it. China used WeChat.
Use the NextDoor website (if available where you live) to connect to and inform your community.
I started an information thread and we share information and offer help to those who need it. China used WeChat.
We need to coordinate as a community!
We need to help each other manage our decisions as to what to do when symptoms arise, and how to get food if we run out, or are too sick to help ourselves.
I am now almost fully recovered, but it has taken 4 weeks.
We need to help each other manage our decisions as to what to do when symptoms arise, and how to get food if we run out, or are too sick to help ourselves.
I am now almost fully recovered, but it has taken 4 weeks.
Links I found useful:
Here is a link to the current situation regarding PPE protection for our medical community in the USA.
Here is a link to the current situation regarding PPE protection for our medical community in the USA.
Here is some news that may be helpful. Researchers say that it takes an average of 5 days for #COVID19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) to appear in #coronavirus-infected people....
Anyone symptom-free by day 12 is unlikely to get symptoms, but may still be infectious carriers. bbc.com/news/health-51…
A disease expert who warned us: cnn.com/2020/03/10/opi…
Must Have WebMap: COVID 19 Data: John Hopkins CSSE:
gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashbo…
gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashbo…
Here is a thread from a person conveying information from northern Italy. It is a terrible situation. I now understand why Italy is in lock down:
Just for reference of time frame, here is Italy's confirmed COVId19 numbers from the John Hopkins site:
•Feb 2: 2 confirmed
•Feb 4: 2 confirmed
•Feb 12: 3 confirmed
•Feb 28: 655 confirmed
•Mar 9: 9172 confirmed
•Feb 2: 2 confirmed
•Feb 4: 2 confirmed
•Feb 12: 3 confirmed
•Feb 28: 655 confirmed
•Mar 9: 9172 confirmed
Information regarding risk of spread after “recovery”: livescience.com/coronavirus-sp…
Another good article: theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…
Another good article: theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…
PBS video with the latest info from the CDC from Mar 4. I recommend. youtube.com/watch?v=aHs9VB…
And finally, and this one really gets my goat: nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/…
And finally, and this one really gets my goat: nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/…
In Conclusion:
I recommend, at some point, enjoying a good book that you have been putting off reading, doing some winter gardening, and clear your mind of this. If you are stuck in an apartment, sing out the window like the people in Italy. Life is beautiful.
I recommend, at some point, enjoying a good book that you have been putting off reading, doing some winter gardening, and clear your mind of this. If you are stuck in an apartment, sing out the window like the people in Italy. Life is beautiful.
The stress and anxiety build up, making us more vulnerable to getting sick. Take this time to learn meditation, deep breathing, yoga, art, science, music, or math- whatever you have been putting off doing.
Life has given us all this pause. Let us not squander the opportunity to learn and grow.
I slowly vacuumed, mopped, and wiped surfaces after day 14, when I had some energy. It got me moving, before resting some more. Getting out in the yard yesterday felt great but I am moving slow and easily out of breath.
The Parks are still open here. Check in your neighborhood and if allowed, go for a much needed walk.
It doesn't help when the people you live with don't take this seriously, or lack empathy. If you are in that situation, you are not alone, you are not crazy, and social distance yourself as much as possible.
The birds are arriving, the weeds are growing, and life continues.
Wisdom from elders is welcome. Wisdom from people who have been sick and have something to say is welcome. Science is welcome.
Wisdom from elders is welcome. Wisdom from people who have been sick and have something to say is welcome. Science is welcome.
We are all in this together, the hippies and the conservatives, the red-necks and the liberals, the young and the old, every ethnicity.
Good luck everyone, we are as strong as the weakest among us. Let’s get through this with love, compassion, humility, strength, determination, community, and individual leadership. It may just be our moment.
Regards,
Mari Knutson, Maple Valley, WA,
Twitter: #COVID19_Survivor
#COVID19 #COVID19 Seattle #COVID19US
Mari Knutson, Maple Valley, WA,
Twitter: #COVID19_Survivor
#COVID19 #COVID19 Seattle #COVID19US
Emergency Pandemic Plan for the World:
