As a non-medical professional living in a world of direct health care, it feels odd for me to be discussing how to keep staff, volunteers, and patients safe. I have so much respect and admiration for our clinical team, staff and volunteers throughout the organization, as well as our state and local public health institutions for their quick and serious response to the pandemic crisis. So much has been accomplished in a very short period here at Doctors Care. I want to encourage folks to check out our webpage (in English and Spanish) at www.doctorscare.org/covid-19 for up to date information. I hope our patients, clients, and community partners feel some assurance that we are making this a priority.
I was reminded that ten years ago we experienced H1N1, and yet this time if feels different. Maybe it is social media and the 24-hour news cycle that is providing so much information. After reading through hours of content, I have boiled it down to a few things that I can do for my family, my office, my little world, and myself.
- First and foremost I remind myself 20 times a day to keep my hands off my face and my fingers out of my mouth. (Basically I am failing at this but I keep working to change my habits.
- I wash my hands almost on the hour for twice as long as ever before.
- I clean my desk, phone, keyboard, mouse, and the arms of the chairs in my office once or twice a day.
- In my car I use a wipe on my hands and the steering wheel and gear shift and then I clean surfaces. My dash board has never been so clean!
- And lastly, but probably most important, I try to remain calm and not let the anxiety of the moment get in the way of living life. I take a deep breath, count to ten, assure myself that my lungs are still working, and get on with my day.
I urge everyone to recognize that we can all make small changes that make a difference. We can all show respect for others and not overreact if someone sneezes, coughs, or sniffles – symptoms of the common cold and allergies. My biggest fear is not COVID-19. It is that we will profile people, and overreact in agitated and violent ways. Stay well, and don’t hesitate to share the small changes you have made.
