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Protecting your aging loved one and yourself from the CoronaVirus

By Laura Oldaker, The Gift of Caring

We hear it in the news, it’s all over social media, it comes up in casual conversation, everyone has heard of the new scary virus that came from China: The CoronaVirus;  and it's making its way around the world. The most recent news reports state 27 countries have been affected, including the United States. 

People who have been affected with the virus look and report having flu-like symptoms, ranging from more minor ailments — like a sore throat, fatigue, coughing, and a runny nose — to more serious symptoms like difficulty breathing. About 14,000 people worldwide have been infected, and 305 have died from it. 

While this virus is definitely a health concern, especially for individuals with compromised immune systems such as older adults and those with chronic conditions like COPD and diabetes, before we run out the door to our local pharmacy to buy their whole stock of hand sanitizer and face masks, let’s take a look at this in perspective, and compare it to the seasonal flu. 

According to the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control, the current flu season (Oct 2019- January 2020) has affected between 19 and 26 million individuals and there have been over 26,000 deaths from flu-related illness; 58% of them being individuals over the age of 65, only seconded by children under 2. 

So how do I protect my loved one (and myself) from this virus? 

Viruses travel through the air in droplets when someone with the infection coughs, sneezes, or talks. You can inhale the droplets directly, or you can pick up the germs from an object and then transfer them to your eyes, nose, or mouth. People with flu can spread it to others up to about six feet away. This includes both the regular flu and the CoronaVirus.

Before we go into solutions, it's important to discuss how infection actually is spread, and the chain of infection, meaning- what is needed for infection to happen, and in turn how breaking any of these links can stop the spread of infection to people around us. 

For infection to spread the following steps are required: 

  1. Infectious agent (the virus, bacteria or fungi that carries a pathogen that can make you sick) 
  2. Reservoir (the place where the virus or bacteria can be picked up, like a surface, equipment, someone’s hands, or it can breathed in through droplets in the air) 
  3. Portal of exit (the place it exits their body- like an open wound or someone’s nostrils as they blow their nose) 
  4. Mode of Transmission-  (like contact with the hands of someone who’s infected, or touching a surface that has been contaminated)   
  5. Portal of Entry- (like touching our face after our hands have been contaminated) 
  6. Susceptible Host (a person who’s immune system is compromised, which also affects those who are under a lot of stress, like family caregivers!)

When one of these links is removed, the infection does not spread. Let’s take handwashing, for example- hand washing removes any pathogens we may have picked up before we are able to touch our face. In fact, according to the CDC, handwashing is the most effective way to prevent disease from spreading. Another example of breaking the chain of infection is by receiving the appropriate vaccinations, this makes the “susceptible host” less susceptible. 

Keep in mind that hand sanitizer does not fully remove viruses, so if able, handwash constantly. Here are some other recommendations that can help prevent catching the dreaded Corona and any other viruses, including the bacterial common cold, which lead to severe complications, like pneumonia: 

  • Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. An alcohol-based sanitizer can work in the absence of soap and water but its not always effective with viruses.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Stay home when you’re sick to prevent spreading it.
  • Cover your mouth when you cough, or sneeze with a tissue and throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. 

If your loved one lives in a community setting, ask the community’s leadership or nurse what extra precautions they are taking during flu season to prevent your loved one from catching it. In places where they provide dementia care, they will typically be very active with handwashing and surface disinfecting. Other important items to constantly disinfect are assistive devices, such as wheelchair armrests, canes, and walkers.  

I’m not trying to downplay the seriousness of these viruses, but to empower you, the family caregiver to protect yourself and your loved one from catching any of these nasty illnesses, which can put us out of commission for several days, as that can set us back from doing what we love to do, which is enjoying our time with our loved ones and live life with intention and happiness. Wishing you health during this flu season!

Sources: Center for Disease Control: Flu Season, and World Health Organization  https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus 

 

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