Just like you, we have families we care about and want to keep safe. When something like the coronavirus hits the news, it can make us worry about everyday decisions.

One of the most important things we can do is continue with our normal lives, doing the things we enjoy and need to stay healthy, while taking reasonable precautions. Living our lives keeps us healthy and happy and teaches our kids good behaviors.

The person best equipped to take care of you is you, but we’ve got your back (pun intended). We clean our offices every night, and antiseptic wipes are used on every surface between each patient visit.  And we ask anyone coming to our offices to stay home if they’re not feeling well.

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Here are some tips to help you and your family feel safe and ready to face the world.

In General

• Wash, wash, wash your hands. Did you know soap and water are more effective than hand sanitizer (and apparently easier to find right now)? To really get rid of any germs, wash for at least 20 seconds – which just happens to be how long it takes to hum Row-Row-Row Your Boat three times.
• Be sneeze- and cough-courteous. Coughing or sneezing into the inner crook of your arm catches the droplets that would otherwise end up in the air or on the surfaces around you. The COVID-19 virus is transmitted through droplets, not through breathing, so this is important.
• Save the mask for Halloween. The benefit of a mask is that it controls the outbound expression of germs when someone coughs or sneezes. If you’re healthy, a mask won’t be very effective in preventing the spread of germs. If you’re sick and need to be out in the world, a mask can help protect those around you from the germs you send out when you cough or sneeze.
• Don’t touch your face! The easiest way to get sick (with any kind of virus) is to introduce germs from your hands to mucus membranes – like your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Netflix and chill. If you’re not feeling well (whether it’s coronavirus or an old-school cold) please stay home, cuddle with your dog and catch up on your favorite show.

Out in the World

• Wipe it out. Many of us do this anyway, but grab one of those wet wipes at the grocery store entrance to clean the cart (buggy for you southerners) handle.
• Declutter! A clean desk or counter makes it easier to run a cleaning cloth across.
• Personal space. Keep at least 6 feet between you and someone who is sneezing or coughing.
• Sharing = caring? Not right now! We’re usually all about sharing, but for now the kindest thing you can do is avoid sharing food, drinks, even lotion or sanitizers – and the germs that ride with them.
• Breathe in, breathe out. Ventilation is a good thing. Weather and location permitting, crack a window.

Taking Care of Yourself

• Be on your best behavior. Keep yourself in good shape by getting plenty of sleep, being physically active, drinking lots of water and eating nutritious foods. A stressed body is a weak body, so manage your stress through exercise, meditation and prayer and/or a conversation with a trusted friend.
• Self-care matters. Caring for yourself is the best thing you can do for your overall health.

Websites

For additional trusted resources about the coronavirus, we recommend these websites:

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html
• https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
• https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
• https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a-comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus

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Additional Flu and Cold Prevention

• Optimize your vitamin D levels.  optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, and vitamin D deficiency is likely the TRUE culprit behind the seasonality of the flu -- not the flu virus itself. This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take.Ideally, you'll want to get all your vitamin D from sun exposure or a safe tanning bed, but as a last resort you can take an oral vitamin D3 supplement.  Your body will produce 10,000 I.U. of Vit D in just 15 minutes of peak sun exposure.   1500I.U- 2000 I.U daily of D3
• Avoid Sugar, Fructose and Processed Foods. Sugar impairs the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you likely know, a healthy immune system is one of the most important keys to fighting off viruses and other illness. Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice.
• Get Enough Rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight any virus..
• Have Effective Tools to Address Stress . We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness.
• Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of fighting an illness before it spreads.
• Take a Good Source of Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in fish oil or krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also crucial to avoid excessive and/or oxidized omega-6 fatty acids, as well as trans fatty acids commonly found in processed foods, as they will seriously damage your immune response.
• Use Natural Antibiotics. Examples include coconut oil, oil of oregano, and garlic. These work like broad-spectrum antibiotics against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in your body. And unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, they do not appear to lead to resistance.
• Avoid Hospitals. I'd recommend you stay away from hospitals unless you're having an emergency and need expert medical care, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infectious microorganisms of all kinds. The best place to get plenty of rest and recover from illness that is not life-threatening is usually in the comfort of your own home.