Coronavirus and Your Health, an Attempt to Separate Fact from Fiction – Part 2

This is the second episode of a two-episode series where we discuss Covid-19, aka the coronavirus, a very sensitive political issue in society today. Political and religious issues can result in some very strong and contrasting opinions. My intent in this episode is not to be confrontational, but to provide facts and consensus opinions regarding this terrible disease to help you better understand it and to better protect yourself and your families. 

In our first episode we worked to develop the basic understanding required to approach issues surrounding Covid-19 in a responsible manner. What you now know is that Covid-19 is a type of coronavirus that was traced to bats. You now know that coronavirus is spread by respiratory droplets either through the air or on surfaces. You now know that there a two basic types of tests used to detect coronavirus: antigen tests that are used to detect current infection with the virus and antibody tests that detect if a person has been previously infected. You now know the Centers for Disease Control recommends a symptom-based strategy be used in cases of mild to moderate Covid-19 infections to determine when a person with confirmed infection can end their isolation. You now know there are several steps you can take to protect yourself and family from Covid-19 that include self-isolation, social distancing, not sharing personal items, wearing a cloth covering or face mask that cover your mouth and nose when around others, and hand and surface washing.

There still are misconceptions about the dangers the coronavirus poses to our health and wellbeing. Mortality rate is the number of people who die divided by the total number of people infected. The Covid-19 mortality rate in the US is 3.5% which is 35 to 58 times higher than the mortality rate for the flu virus. SARS and Ebola viruses had a much higher mortality rate than Covid-19 that was 11% and 39.5% respectively.

There is no medical treatment that cures or vaccine that prevents Covid-19 infections, but there is ongoing research. The most important step in treatment of this virus is prevention. Mild to moderate infections are treated with self-isolation and over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers. You should seek medical attention immediately if you experience worsening symptoms. There are treatments available for people with severe infections that improve their likelihood of survival that include remdesivir an antiviral treatment developed to treat Ebola, dexamethasone a steroid, and convalescent plasma that contains antibodies for people previously infected with coronavirus.

There are controversial issues coronavirus and two of the most pressing ones are school re-openings and facial coverings. Parents are being faced with tough decisions as they decide whether or not to send their children back to in-person schooling. Science has proved that closed schools affect children negatively including socially, emotionally, behaviorally, and academically. Low income, minority, and disable students suffer disproportionately when in-person educational options are not available as they do not have the capacity to facilitate distance learning and are more dependent upon school resources like lunches and after school programs. The available scientific evidence reveals that in-person schooling, with appropriate mitigation measures, is in the best interest of students. Mitigation measures include decreased class sizes, limiting student and staff mixing, and using cohorts, alternating, or hybrid schedules.

There has been controversy surrounding mask wearing and prevention of Covid-19 spread. Science and medicine have proved that exemptions that justify not wearing masks are almost nonexistent. If you have a breathing issue so severe that you can’t wear a mask, t

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