Clarification of COVID rumors and new developments:

 

There is a lot of misinformation out there in the media.  There is a lot of fear surrounding this illness, but the best way to combat fear is education and knowledge.  With the “shelter in place” order now statewide in CA, we are further encouraging people to be ultra compliant with these recommendations.   Our goal is to help care for our patients both physically and emotionally during this unprecedented time in our nation’s history.  We encourage you to stay connected with family and friends via internet, phone, facetime and social media.

 

–Just because a store remains open, does not mean that you should be there shopping!!  Limit trips out for essential supplies and reasons!

—We recommend taking as few “essential” trips out of the house as possible.  Wait until you have several items needed, and then have one person in household designated to go “out” and deal with potential exposures.  The more trips taken and more individuals from a particular household are out and about the more spread we will see.

–Here are links for more resources and education regarding inaccurate information regarding COVID-19

 

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters

and

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/water.html

 

—Testing is being reserved for symptomatic patients only.  There are several problems with the test that we currently have:

 

1. Availability – there are very few tests out there still and need to be reserved for patients who are symptomatic
2. Reliability—The test is only about 70% accurate.  That means that about 3/10 patients that test negative could actually have the disease.  That test is even less accurate when patients are asymptomatic.  This appears to be the case worldwide, which further underestimates the number of cases in the community.  If you have any suggestive symptoms, regardless of the test results you need to isolate yourself from others.   A positive test result is reliable and can be considered accurate.
3. Timing of results—Currently we are seeing test results take between 4-6 days to return.  The labs are overwhelmed already despite the relatively few numbers of tests done overall.  Individuals who are asymptomatic requesting tests further strain the lab systems and delay potential positive results for sicker or more at risk patients.

 

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE – Definitely not the miracle cure being touted in the media.

While the data are promising, the statements from FOX news and President Trump yesterday are extremely premature and overstated.  This has caused a frenzy at the pharmacies and will likely prevent some patients with severe symptoms from being able to get the medication. We have personally reviewed the data and the studies these claims are based on!!!  The results of the study are limited most by the very small numbers of patients that were initially included. There does appear to be benefit for those individuals having severe illness (pneumonia, respiratory distress).  The preliminary data indicates that in severe illness it reduces the severity and course and also reduces the potential infectious risk to others in patients who are taking the medication. This medication really NEEDS to be reserved for patients who need to be hospitalized and have severe symptoms.  If asymptomatic and low risk patients are hoarding the medication, it may prevent or delay being able to administer the drug to those who really need it.   If you or a family member have somehow obtained this medication and are planning to take it, please contact our staff to discuss prior to doing so.  We have tried and are continuing to look for resources to be able to obtain this medication for any critically ill members of our practice, but have as yet been unsuccessful in finding any supply.  We fully expect further data to emerge from this ongoing study and are hopeful it will continue to strengthen the evidence for use of this medication.

 

 

Our registered dietician, Martha, has put together some valuable and hopefully helpful information about shopping, food activities you can participate in as a family at home, and ideas about how to utilize the pantry and freezer resources you have already in creative ways.  See below…

 

Grocery shopping can be difficult right now, so it is important to have a plan.  Check out these tips to stay safe and well nourished!

 

Make it a necessary trip:

• It is important to reduce exposure by minimizing trips to public areas.  When planning your shopping trip make sure your list covers a few days and not just a couple of items.  This will help make sure your kitchen is stocked and limit your exposure
• Try your hand a meal prepping so you can keep food waste and shopping trips to a minimum.  Need some inspiration?  Check out TheLeanGreenBean for some weekly meal plan ideas.

Have kids at home:

• Including children does not have to be intimidating and you can even use it as part of their at-home curriculum with these ideas:
  • (Reading and Writing) Have the children help find recipes by looking through cookbooks or online blogs.  Talk about what recipes you would like to try and have the children check the pantry for what you already have and write a shopping list for what you need.
  • (Math) Does the recipe make the right amount for your family?  Have the children practice their multiplication and division skills by increasing or decreasing a recipe.
  • (Math) The math lesson does not have to stop there; you can use measuring cups and spoons to practice fractions when altering your recipe size.
  • (Science): There’s a science to a well-made meal.  Talk to your kids about how protein structures change when you scramble an egg or how air can help make muffins rise.
    • Helpful links:
    • https://www.americastestkitchen.com/collections/50-americas-test-kitchen-recipes-you-need-now?pac=yB3BlHwrQhn4hlmqK26JBJW8FLEAO3gcS9pSO4oIPsc=
    • https://www.americastestkitchen.com/kids/home
    • http://parents.nea.org/keeping-kids-curious/stem-lessons-kitchen/
    • https://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/

Look for shelf stable items:

• Grocery inventory may be different than what you are used to, so make sure to keep some shelf stable items in your pantry so you have some healthy meals ready to go for your family.
  • Dried goods:
    • Whole wheat pasta
    • Dried beans, peas, and lentils
    • Nut butters
    • Dries fruits
    • Whole grain rice (brown, black, or red)
    • Dried grains (oats, faro, bulgur, quinoa, etc.)
  • Canned goods:
    • Low sodium soups and vegetables
      • If low sodium isn’t an option then reduce the sodium by adding a cup of water to the soup or rinsing the vegetable before cooking
    • Fruits canned in water or 100% juice
  • Protein options
    • Vegetarian protein
      • When you combine a whole grain with a nut or legume you get all of your essential amino acids that you would get from animal protein.  Need some ideas:
        • PB&J on whole wheat bread (or almond butter, cashew butter, any nut butter)
        • Bean and brown rice burrito
      • Canned fish
        • These can be used for everything from salads to croquettes

We will continue to stay on top of the developments happening with COVID-19 both locally and globally.

 

Lastly, as a way to be able to disseminate information to patients even more quickly, we are also trying to increase our presence on Social Media.  Follow the link to our Facebook page or click the media buttons below to share this email with a friend or link to our facebook page to “like” and follow us.

https://www.facebook.com/PlacerMD