Our Parish Nurse, Ann Yeo, is experiencing the unprecedented drama of COVID-19 (also known as Coronavirus) along with all of you. What we know, and the reality of our lives is changing from day to day.
The essential practices that reduce our chance of acquiring, or spreading, the infection, include:
· Frequent, meticulous hand-washing, or use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
· Covering our coughs and sneezes;
· Social distancing – that is, staying 6 feet apart from others outside our home, and avoiding large gatherings. (The definition of “large gathering” continues to shrink!)
Other ways that may help us to remain healthy include:
· Inclusion of plenty of fruits and vegetables in our diet;
· Some form of exercise on most days of the week;
· Regular exposure to nature, fresh air, and sunshine on our face;
· Stress-reduction practices, such as regular meditation or quiet contemplation;
· Maintaining social connectedness (even while practicing social distancing) – via social media if that’s our style, or old-fashioned phone calls, as well as participation in on-line worship services (even post-service coffee hour!)
One of our members sent me a link to a fascinating article about the 1918 influenza pandemic, with regard to the reported beneficial effects of fresh air and sunshine in the treatment of some groups of influenza patients during that dreadful time. Is it relevant to our current COVID-19 pandemic? I don’t know. However, I’m happy to send the link to anyone who’s interested to read it. You can contact me.
Fast-forward to 2020: Unlike with influenza, we do not yet have a vaccine or antiviral medications for COVID-19; but the symptoms can be treated, and most people will recover within a couple of weeks. However, older persons, and those with underlying medical conditions, are at greater risk for complications with COVID-19. That’s a lot of us! Therefore, doing everything we can do to prevent the spread of the infection is vitally important.
Keep up with the news. Take care of yourself as best as you can. Let us know if you need support from your faith community.
-Ann Yeo, RN, MSN, Certified Holistic Nurse