Coming to the Clinic during Corona Crisis

     Do you want to know why I really don’t sleep at night? Many a night I am writing an upcoming blog post in my head. Instead of getting up to type it, I just keep editing it in my head, feeling confident I will remember it when the time comes to actually type it. Right. That’s what happens. Not.

Anyway, I had a totally different thing written up for today anyway, and then Monday night a totally different idea jumped in my head. But by yesterday morning, I was feeling like I should really give you more of a public service announcement today.

Yes, you’ve all heard everything there is to hear about coronavirus (aka COVID 19). I’m going to try not to bore you with all of that; instead, hoping to present something new or that you haven’t thought of before.

For starters, do you know what a corona is?

In astronomy, it is that rim of gas that surrounds the sun and other stars, usually only appearing during a total solar eclipse, when it might look like a crown. That’s not so bad. (I’m afraid I will go down the rabbit hole of Corona beer and its crown logo if I don’t stop this line of thought right now.)

As most of you know, I have worked in the health care field for over thirty years, the last twenty in family practice. I’ve seen a thing or two. And with my active imagination, I’ve imagined way more than that. I also watch the occasional end-of-times action movie, so I could picture a virus taking over the world and destroying life as we know it. And now here we are.

No, the coronavirus is not going to change our lives forever. A lot of people will get sick, a few will die. Things could get uglier than they are right now. But let me stop before I digress.

This is a virus. There is no treatment for it, no cure. If you get it and you are reasonably healthy and have the body of someone less than – let’s say – 65 years old, you can ride this out at home, with lots of fluids, rest and ibuprofen or Tylenol for the fever and any pain.

Do not go to the ER, do not go to your doctor’s office, and do not even call your doctor’s office, unless you have difficulty breathing or an underlying serious health condition such as heart disease, diabetes, or COPD. Do not demand to be tested for it - there just are not enough kits available and the labs are already working around the clock to run the tests on those people who are really sick. 

Also, do not go to your doctor’s office for your routine checkups. It’s not worth the risk of picking up any and all of the bugs the other patients have brought in and left all over the waiting rooms. Your health care provider will call in any of your regular meds so that you don’t run out before this black cloud lifts.

Umm, what else? I have to tell you that the patients I have called to reschedule their annual exams this week have been way over the top appreciative that we have thought to cancel their appointments so that they can just stay home. I’ve heard and read a lot of crazy stories, but I feel very blessed that in my little world, things haven’t gone completely out of control.

So, yea, just be nice out there, people. Be thoughtful and patient and kind. Don’t panic. You are not alone in this, and he who dies with the most toilet paper, still dies.

God bless you all. Chris