PMD Alliance is fortunate to have more than 130 movement disorder physician partners. These partners generously provide nearly 100,000 hours of free time and expertise to PMD Alliance every year. One of the services they offer is consultation and advice.
During this time, please feel free to email us at HeyDoc@PMDAlliance.org with your questions and concerns. We will include them in our Resilience Update. If a question is outside of the scope of practice, our MDS physicians will refer you to the appropriate professional.
Q: What can I do to protect myself and prevent the spread of the Virus?
A: The recommendations below are from the World Health Organization Resource (WHO) list.
You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:
- Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands. - Maintain at least 1 meters (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease. - Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick. - Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19. - Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections. - Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely). If possible, avoid traveling to places – especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease.
Why? You have a higher chance of catching COVID-19 in one of these areas.
Q: Why can’t my grandchildren come stay with me when their school has extended spring break?
A: Since COVID‐19 seems to have a similar pathogenic potential as SARS‐CoV and MERS‐CoV, older adults are likely to be at increased risk of severe infections, cascade of complications, disability, and death, as observed with influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infections.
Due to the many underlying conditions many elderly struggle to begin with, adding such an infection as the COVID-19 could be detrimental for the elderly grandparents. Even with school being out now, it is not known if anyone, grandchildren included has been in contact and potentially carrying this virus, so to be on the safe side, it is not a wise idea for the grandchildren to stay with their grandparent.
Social distancing is recommended, that being said please don’t forget to check in with the elderly on a frequent basis to make sure they are okay.
Remember to check this page often as we will be updating it with questions and answers as they come in!
Below are a couple of links from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website regarding transmission concerns and how to best keep yourself safe.
Transmission, Prevention, & Treatment of the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
As always, if you are feeling sick or want more information on how to best protect you and your loved ones, reach out to your medical team for the most current information regarding COVID-19.
