I am starting to get somewhat anxious about the coronavirus in relation to the memory care facility my parent is in.
Memory care facilities I think could be hot beds of virus for this sort of thing, due to the low hygiene levels as a result of how the residents themselves are.
I don't want to be a carrier that unknowingly delivers it to the facility and I most definitely don't want to catch it from there.
Any ideas as to how to manage and minimize risk asides from just not visiting?
A flower that has not yet bloomed (a rose bud) can be forced bloomed by placing it in hot water. Lettuce that has wilted can be quickly revived in cold water, because the veins of the plant absorb it.
Lettuce can be contaminated, yes.
But I'm an organic gardener; I assume you're not?
I also don't generally buy "organic" stuff - outside my budget and many items really don't need to be (plus have you ever researched what constitutes organic? YIKES! What they allow would turn you off eating anything!) Additionally, if you read up on what amounts of various items are allowed to "slip" through the system, you'd also give up eating! My favorite is "fresh" orange juice... they don't just squeeze the juice into cartons and ship it... But, to make our current food safety requirements more palatable, read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.
I was looking for breakdowns on a cluster of statistics, and am still looking. But here are some factors in analyzing the severity of the virus:
1. Cases per million people.
https://nucleuswealth.com/articles/updated-coronavirus-statistics-cases-deaths-mortality-rate/
Note that the chart indicates where diagnoses were made, as opposed to where the source of infection may have been. The rates of Iran, Italy and South Korea are more intensive than any other country. Question is why? I don't know. If Italy or South Korea were one of the poorer or strife ridden countries, I could understand, in part b/c medical facilities wouldn't be as available as in the more developed countries.
2. In the last few or more weeks I recalled seeing a PBS program on the massive problem of trash disposal in Italy. Streets were filled with garbage; it was too repugnant to see, so I didn't watch the rest of the program. I wonder if that was a factor, b/c Italy isn't one of the underdeveloped countries with limited medical facilities.
I would like to see a breakdown down of the Vatican City vs. the rest of Italy, as the former has a more reclusive environment and from what I understand isn't as exposed as the rest of the country.
3. The second graph addresses rapidity of detection. The vertical line isn't identified, but I'm presuming it represents days. Italy, South Korea and Iran were apparently later in identifying cases than other countries. If so, there's one commonality.
4. I'm still searching for statistics such as those addressed by Geaton777, especially the co-morbidity factors between those who died and those who survived. I think that would be more telling than some of the reports that are being floated around.
5. I notice also that there are no statistics for Russia, which I assume is because they're not being reported or shared.
6. Something no one has addressed in the many reports available are the facts that there are so many variables in potential vectors: mail, for one. Even though mail is automated, it's still hand delivered at the end point. Food products are another, especially produce from other countries with different hygienic standards. I was surprised when I'd ask various restaurants if they washed raw vegetables and fruits with hot water and soap. They did not.
Agencies will be gathering data for months, including after the peaks and as the virus (hopefully eventually becomes medical addressed, or runs its course.
I'm especially interested in the role of the little critter that may have carried the virus and started the epidemic in the "fresh" meat markets of China.
Rinsing of vegetables and fruit is often recommended, but mainly due to pesticides and possibly various germs that thrive in growing locations, like E-coli and Listeria. Salmonella is generally a meat thing and if you cook it properly, it shouldn't be an issue if it is in/on the meat (washing hands after handling raw meats helps to prevent infection too!)
"...co-morbidity factors between those who died..." Many of the current 9 in WA state who died were from the same NH and had pre-existing conditions.
Perspective - ~3200 deaths reported worldwide vs ~93000 cases detected, most of both being people who live in China. ~200 deaths reported between 3 countries (Italy, Iran, S. Korea), leaving about 30 deaths among all the other countries reporting. Out of about 8 million people worldwide, that is not a lot. Significant to those who died and their families, but as Geaton777 says, a drop in the teapot really, at this point.
FYI from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
Russia 3 total cases 1 active case 2 recovered cases
As for mail, per https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters
"From previous analysis, we know coronavirises do not survice long on objects, such as letters or packages." Since food items are also "objects", I wouldn't worry too much about them. If an infected person sneezed on it and handed it to you, perhaps you could get infected, but if I saw someone sneeze on a fresh food item, I wouldn't take it from them or touch it with a 10 foot pole!
I haven't seen stats yet on breakout of age or preexisting conditions, but it is fairly clear that those who are compromised (heart, lungs, diabetes, etc) and/or are elderly, they are more likely to develop other conditions if infected with this (same as with flu or a really bad cold - their immune system can't handle it.)
So smart! I would not have thought of that, unless I had observed it while there.
What is advised about our shoes?
They should be following good hygiene practice ALL year, not just when some media blip is scaring the bejeezus out of people. ALL YEAR.
I would be concerned that they have something like the flu going around there. Do they not recommend or rather require flu shots for residents and staff? If they all got theirs, even someone coming in with germs shouldn't be able to infect them (granted flu shots can be geared to the wrong strain, but they do say it lessens the impact.) If everyone in the facility is covered, then no one in the facility should get sick or at least not as sick.
I would also recommend the pneumonia shots for elders in facilities. Many less serious conditions can cause complications in elders, like pneumonia, which is often a killer for the elderly. I still have mom (96, into year 4 at MC) get her flu shots and pneumonia shots (2, 1 year apart.)
Personally I don't get either, have never ever had the flu and haven't been sick in MANY decades. Plenty of exposure (school myself, college, kids, working, including at a grocery and large BUSY warehouse, large companies, etc), just good immune system I guess? Maybe later, when I am older, but not now!
The Coronavirus is airborne and also lives on surfaces for 9 days. Such as a door handle, called a fortnite.
www.gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com
its the John Hopkins site. Gets updated every morning.
they run the # on overall, recovered, dead and active.
For Mainland China, its broken down by each province. I’ve been watching since 2/4 for Hubei, Beijing, Guandong, & Hainan. For the last 3 the #s are holding pretty tight last 5 days, which is good.
For the other countries it’s still overall #s & some do have their Diamond Princess # segregated. I bet it will expand by region or states or departments for all the countries soon as they reach a set amount.
If the corona virus does get introduced into a facility, then clients will most likely take meals in their rooms, not have "group" activities, and be monitored more closely for coughs, breathing problems and fever. The problem is when a client develops pneumonia - which is makes breathing difficult - and is harder on an aging population with underlying respiratory or cardiac problems. So far, the disease only has a mortality rate of 1% for the general population and 15% for the older population.
People seem so afraid of the coronavirus, but gloss over the fact that every year, there are so very many flu illnesses and deaths.
"As of mid-January, in the US, there have been at least 9.7 million cases of the flu, at least 87,000 flu-related hospitalization, and up to 12,000 deaths, according to the CDC. Forty-six states plus Puerto Rico are currently experiencing widespread flu activity, though the type of strain and incidence vary from region to region."
Oh and now there are 2 confirmed cases here in Florida, both counties by mine. And Snowbird season, so a bit more worrisome.
From Johns Hopkins School of Medicine:
Influenza (“the flu”) and COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, are both infectious respiratory illnesses. Although the symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu can look similar, the two illnesses are caused by different viruses.
As of Mar. 2, 2020, the **flu** is showing *much more* of an impact on Americans than COVID-19.
Both the flu and COVID-19 cause fever, cough, body aches, fatigue; sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.
Both can be mild or severe, even fatal in rare cases.
Both can result in pneumonia.
Both can be spread from person to person through droplets in the air from an infected person coughing, sneezing or talking.
Severe cases of both may require hospitalization and support such as mechanical ventilation.
***Both may be prevented by frequent, thorough hand washing, coughing into the crook of your elbow, staying home when sick and limiting contact with people who are infected.***
COVID-19: Antiviral medications are currently being tested to see if they can address symptoms.
Flu: Antiviral medications can address symptoms and sometimes shorten the duration of the illness.
COVID-19: No vaccine is available at this time, though it is in progress.
Flu: A vaccine is available and effective to prevent some of the most dangerous types or to reduce the severity of the flu.
COVID-19: Approximately 90,279 cases worldwide; 100 cases in the U.S. as of Mar. 2, 2020.
Flu: Estimated 1 *billion* cases worldwide; 9.3 million to 45 *million* cases in the U.S. *per year*.
COVID-19: Approximately 3,085 deaths reported worldwide; 6 deaths in the U.S., as of Mar. 2, 2020.
Flu: 291,000 to 646,000 deaths worldwide; 12,000 to 61,000 deaths in the U.S. per year.
So it makes sense to me to treat the situation in a senior/ assisted living/ memory care facility with much more caution.
COVID-19 deaths 2.0%. This means the risk of dying from COVID-19 is 20 times greater than the risk of dying from the flu for the AVERAGE PERSON. However, the death rates for people over 65, the frail, elderly, those with compromised immune systems, those with diabetes and people with heart disease have a significantly higher chance of dying from coronavirus than 2.0%. Another issue which makes the coronavirus more prevalent than the flu is that there is currently no vaccine as there is with the flu. The international medical consensus along with the CDC is that a rushed vaccine could be available as early as a year and half without human trials and Israel in particular seems to be making some headway in creating a vaccine. However in the US the cost to individuals for the vaccine, once it is available, is estimated to be substantial due to trademark protections and other US pharmaceutical industry standard practices. The coronavirus is a dangerous pandemic with no cure and so far no medical intervention to protect people from getting it. In addition, compared to past epidemic preparedness in the US, the US is having a particularly difficult time containing, managing, documenting, testing, and efficiently communicating about COVID-19 within the medical and scientific communities compared to our prepared responses to diseases such as SARS, MERS, Avian flu, ebola and others in the past. Wash hands, do not touch your mouth, nose, or eyes and if you begin to have a fever wear a mask, seek a diagnosis and stay home for 2 weeks or until your doctor gives you the all-clear to resume normal activities.
With a current 14% mortality rate among people over 70. the virsus is no small risk.
As to your behavior, assume that you are carrying the virus and that you will come in contact with the virus.
Of course don't visit if anyone in your family has symptoms of a cold. or a fever; check your own fever.
The facility should have everyone stop by a desk and check in. The facilityshouldprovide everyone with a mask and have them wash their hands before visiting. The love one should be provided with a mask to wear doing a visit. Be sure to wash your hands before leaving. Don't touch your face or nose (including removing the mask) until you have used hand santizer. and then wash your hands again.
Don't rely on the facility doing an adequate job. Push them. Because the death rate among the elder is 14%.
Any time people are living in such close quarters, the risk will be increased.