COVID-19: Where do we go from here?
Quite frankly, nobody knows the answer to this question, leaving most everyone feeling unsettled and confused. There is no other news other than COVID-19 news and that doesn’t make things any more comforting. You’re darned if you ignored the news updates and darned if you try to keep with a cascade of never-ending bad news and demonstrations of hysteria.
What we’d like to share with the SCI community is a better understanding of COVID-19 as well as better preparedness and dealings for what might be a protracted battle against this disease. So, let’s start by doing the following:
Fully understand and be aware of the symptoms. Though they could get confused with seasonal allergies, the common cold or even the seasonal flu, COVID-19’s symptoms are more defined: fever, cough and shortness of breath. The major challenge is that the carrier of the virus may not be exhibiting any symptoms while unwittingly spreading the virus and infecting others. So, may we introduce you to this simple page on CDC’s web site that explains everything in easy-to-follow steps?
Next, if you depend on a caregiver, whether a family member or a hired external one, here are some helpful guidelines on how to interact with each other in order to minimize your exposure to the virus.
COVID-19 does not discriminate between paraplegics or quadriplegics when it comes to infecting you. If you’ve had a spinal cord injury, you are in a high-risk category. The level of your injury, regardless of your age, does not mean that your symptoms might be milder or harsher. Exercise good judgment by minimizing your exposure to the outside world and when you do have people coming to you, insist on maintaining a distance of at least six feet, ask everyone to wash their hands with soap and don’t touch anything on your face unless your hands have been washed or sterilized.
Let’s get through this inconvenient part of our life safely and patiently.