Caring for a High-Risk Loved One During the COVID-19 Breakout
What is COVID-19?
By the Center for Disease Control’s definitions, COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that is communicable and primarily spread from person-to-person. The novel coronavirus strain was first reported in Wuhan, China as pneumonia cases of unknown source. Since the reports of cases started being reported in late December of 2019, the virus has spread across the globe and reached pandemic levels.
Do Not Panic and Follow the Facts
There are inundations of information coming from multiple media outlets in the wake of the pandemic. It can be difficult what is fueled by panic, and what is written based solely on facts. There are three resources that can be trusted as providers of fact-based information and guidance. They are:
This is a time to operate with focus rather than fear, especially if you are a caregiver for a loved one that is considered at-risk. Staying in touch and informed is the best way to prepare for the possibility of an illness within the home.
Preparation and Prevention
Many Americans have developed family plans for dire situations such as fires or extreme weather such as tornadoes or hurricanes, but most have not had to design a plan for a pandemic. Create a list with organizations that can be contacted for resources and reliable information. Include physician phone numbers on this list as well. Contact numbers should include emergency contacts for family and friends.
The new normal is daily preventative (sometimes multiple times daily) measures. Frequent handwashing should last for twenty seconds each washing. Even if remaining in the home, the preventative measures should still be taken so that the habit will be formed. The human brain has the capability of sending a message to the hand in response to the eye itching. A retraining of the brain is necessary. The face should not be touched without at least sanitizing the hands if washing is not possible. Cleaning and disinfecting all frequently touched surfaces should be done at least once a day, especially if anyone in the household has been deemed an essential employee and must leave the home.
Coronavirus Symptoms
An all-inclusive list of COVID-19 does not exist as of yet. The symptoms that medical professionals are sure of are:
Some of the physical signs that should prompt immediate medical care are:
To avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19, the population is advised to avoid people who are sick. The best way of doing this was initially advised as practicing social distance (staying six feet away from anyone else). Since the spread has continued to rise, most states in the US have issued “shelter in place” orders. Essential workers still must leave to go to work. If anyone in the home shows signs, quarantine to one room in the home is advised.
Federal Government Loosens Restrictions and Regulations on Telemedicine
COVID-19 has possibly prompted a change in the future of health care delivery radically. The federal government recently announced that the restrictions and regulations that were placed in regards to telemedicine would be greatly relaxed for the protection of at-risk population and decrease the number of people required to leave their home for medical care. With the global climate of healthcare, the American healthcare system may now be seeing the new normal.
Some people interchange the terms, but there is a difference between telehealth and telemedicine. Telemedicine is the broadened terminology that covers telehealth (patients’ access to their EHR through an online patient portal and other technology) in addition to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment delivered by a clinician for a patient.
