Fighting against COVID-19

When celebrating the new year, everyone imagined ideas that included fresh beginnings, resolutions, goals, and many other accomplishments. Nowhere between that did we think a pandemic would hault our 2020 ambitions. The last few months has brought about changes to our day to day lifestyle that seemed unimportant in the past. As healthcare workers, we need to come together to help the world with our knowledge and hands-on expertise. As part of the community, we need to show the people that we are all one and will be there for anyone who needs us. The following are some ways that us healthcare workers can help our community win this war.

Washing your hands

Washing your hands is the single most important part of fighting against this virus. The CDC says that the best way to fight against COVID-19 is by washing your hands with plain soap and water for at least 20 seconds. We should wash our hands as often as possible but especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after coughing or sneezing and after blowing one’s nose. The second best option is alcohol-based hand sanitizer. The CDC recommends that the hand sanitizer we use should contain at least 60% alcohol. When washing your hands or applying sanitizer we need to remind patients to always scrub between our fingers and on the back of our palms, these are the areas that are most susceptible because they are easily forgotten. Whether it be using hand sanitizer or plain soap and water, we need to try our best to keep them as clean as possible and more importantly, avoid touching our eyes or mouth.

Vitamins

Vitamins are another important factor when fighting against COVID-19. Some vitamins that might be effective at preventing or reducing the severity of COVID-19 is vitamin D, C and zinc. These vitamins are household names because it is well known that they play a big role in immunity. By aiding in the growth and function of immune cells and antibody production, these vitamins can help fight any foreign material in your body. For this reason, as healthcare professionals we should also tell patients the importance of good nutrition and supplementation. In conclusion, there may not be clear evidence that vitamins directly fight against COVID-19 but in the long run it can help boost our immune system which can in turn help our bodies be stronger in the event that we are infected by the virus.

Getting tested

Throughout this pandemic, it has been seen that many of the patients being affected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic. For this reason, most may feel that being tested might seem like overkill because they don’t have any symptoms. This might be the most dangerous part of this virus. As healthcare professionals we need to educate our patients on the meaning of being an asymptomatic carrier. Patients are unintentionally spreading the virus to family members, grocery shoppers and anyone they touch. This is why we should push the people in our community to get tested. This way we can better control the spread of the virus and also protect those who are at risk of dying. The importance of being tested goes beyond just knowing if you have the virus or not. Another very important reason for getting tested is to help others. If more patients are tested for the COVID-19 antibody, we can direct those who are positive of antibodies to donate plasma. In this way everyone can help those who are immunocompromised or at risk to have better outcomes if they are infected with COVID-19.

COVID-19 and the FDA

This pandemic has brought about chaos in many ways, but the biggest reason why people are scared of this virus is because there is no cure or preventative measures. In the rush to find something that may help those suffering with COVID-19 the FDA has accelerated research to find drugs that may shorten the time of recovery. One of these drugs is Remdesivir. This drug has already shown through clinical trials that it diminishes the time of recovery for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. We have also seen in the media the speculation that ibuprofen has worsened the symptoms of COVID-19. In a recent statement the FDA said that there is no evidence proving that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen can worsen symptoms of COVID-19. Another big controversy that hit the big screen is the use of hydroxychloroquine. The FDA has advised against taking this drug for COVID-19 outside a hospital or formal clinical trial because it may increase the risk of “serious heart rhythm problems.” This shows how influential the media is and as healthcare professionals we have to remember to always check with the FDA or CDC before accepting assumptions made on any media outlet.

We are all in this together

All in all, this pandemic has been very difficult for everyone. This is why we all have to stick together and help one another whenever we get the chance. As healthcare providers we tend to focus on the medical aspect of everything, not just during this pandemic. In times like these the community needs our help not only to teach them that it is important to wash their hands and stay apart but also, to support the local small businesses and the unfortunate people who don’t have enough to eat. With the combination of health and unity we can slowly bring our world back to normal.