Week 1 coronavirus update

I am writing to convey my perception and recommendations regarding these most unusual times about the coronavirus epidemic. I have spent the last several days reviewing the popular and scientific literature available on this subject.

First, I would recommend that all non-urgent visits to our office, eg. physicals, wellness evaluations, and routine follow-ups, be postponed for the next 2 weeks. That will allow enough time to see if the recommended public health measures influence the spread of this illness.

Second, if you have questions about your illness, please call the office at 720-639-6359 or me directly. Most of the time you will be experiencing another viral infection or a sinus or bronchial infection that is typical of this time of year. Regardless it is best to be safe, so call.

The ability to test for this virus is severely limited, as is treatment. Most of us will contract the illness and not be able to be tested to prove what we have. The treatments that are available are purely supportive for those with the most severe symptoms.

REMEMBER:
1. That 80+ % of people who contract the infection only experience a mild to moderate flu-like illness that lasts about 5-10 days. Unfortunately, you are contagious during that time so self-quarantine, staying away from others for 2 weeks.
2. The primary symptoms are muscle aches, fever over 101, headache, dry cough, shortness of breath, and occasionally nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
3. This illness presents very similarly to influenza and other common winter cold viruses. You are much more likely to develop the common cold than the coronavirus infection.
4. Those most afflicted with the severe complications of this infection are those mostly over age 65. There are clearly those who are under the age of 50 that have contracted the illness and died, but they are the very small minority and the fodder for the popular media. If you have heart or lung problems or have uncontrolled diabetes or are on chemotherapy or immuno-suppressive medication for any condition, then you are also considered at high risk for the severe complications of this illness.
5. Stay away from groups of greater than 10 people for the near future (4 weeks) to practice the recommended “social distancing”.
6. You will not get this infection from food or pets (as best we know at present.)
7. In terms of contracting this infection in public settings, “social distancing” means 6 feet from other people.
8. If you go to grocery stores or other commonly visited businesses, be sure to disinfect your hands after handling carts or merchandise. Just walking and browsing does not place you at risk.
9. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE without disinfecting your hands.
10. Soap is good enough unless you don’t have 20-30 seconds to wash your hands. Then hand sanitizer will be sufficient.
11. As best as can be predicted at this time, the virus is more commonly spread about 70% of the time by direct contact (touching infected people or surfaces) and 30% of the time by inhaling microscopic water droplets (being in the 6-foot radius of someone coughing or sneezing.)
12. It is predicted by the Centers for Disease Control that 20-60% of us are at immediate risk of infection. That leaves a bunch in non-immediate risk. This basically means those in rural communities where urban and international travel is less common. However proper handwashing precautions still make sense.
13. When a new virus enters a population that has not had any previous exposure (hence chance for developing immunity) all will eventually need to be exposed to the virus to develop immunity. This means that we either must contract the infection or be immunized against it. A vaccine is for all practical purposes at least one year away.
14. The public health plan from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is to slow the spread of this virus, not prevent it.
15. Lastly, this is NOT the Ebola virus, which carries a >98% mortality rate.

So, what can be done?

The evolving recommendations consistent with those from the CDC are as follows:
1. If you feel sick from a respiratory illness, stay at home and treat your symptoms as you would any upper respiratory illness. Call the office at 720-639-6359 or directly at 303-579-2767 for questions.
2. Stay well hydrated.
3. If you have a cough, DO NOT cough into your sleeve. Cough into Kleenex and discard it immediately, followed by hand washing. Masks do reduce your degree of contagion to others but do not prevent you from getting the illness.
3. The main reasons to go to the hospital are dehydration and severe shortness of breath. Consider purchasing an oximeter like we use in the office from Walmart or Walgreens to check your oxygen levels if you are ill. An oxygen saturation consistently less than 88% when experiencing shortness of breath with the other respiratory infection symptoms gets you a visit to the ER. If you have uncontrollable vomiting along with all the other symptoms mentioned above, go to the ER.

The current recommendations for restricted travel and attendance at large group meetings, like conferences and even church, makes reasonable sense for the near term. How long that is will take time to figure out.

The impetus currently is to slow the progression of this disease so as to not overwhelm our hospitals for those requiring more serious care. Be careful and call or email with any questions.

Dr. Gipson