Here are some frequently asked questions we have encountered from patients at Best Life Wellness. We will attempt to update this information periodically as things progress. We hope it is helpful in protecting and informing you during this stressful time!
What can I do to protect myself and my family?
COVID 19 is highly contagious, and the number one priority of our public health system is to reduce the rate of infection. To reduce your likelihood of becoming infected, practice the following:
Wash hands regularly with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds.
Avoid touching your face.
Avoid unnecessary travel and social gatherings.
Practice self-care: Consume a healthy diet with nutrient rich foods, exercise, get plenty of sleep, stay hydrated, avoid alcohol and sugar and reduce stress.
Additional guidelines can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
What are the initial signs and symptoms?
Symptoms of coronavirus are similar to cold or flu. The most common symptoms are:
Fever,
Cough,
Shortness of breath.
To clarify, shortness of breath would be an experience like heavy breathing after climbing several flights of stairs. If you experience something like this in the absence of strenuous physical activity, that’s shortness of breath.
If you experience any of these symptoms, call your primary care physician immediately for medical advice.
What should I do if I start to feel sick?
If you experience a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, call your primary care physician immediately for medical advice. Furthermore, stay home (except to seek emergency medical care), and avoid contact with others to prevent spread of the disease.
Infected individuals must take special precautions to avoid spreading the infection. These include:
Wearing a facemask,
Covering your face when you cough and sneeze,
Frequent hand washing,
Avoid sharing personal items,
Cleaning “high-touch” household surfaces,
Following medical advice.
For detailed advice on these and other steps to take if you begin to feel sick, follow the guidelines on the CDC website.
Should I stop going to work?
Most places of work are now closing up in person offices and encouraging social distancing. However if you are one of the “essential” businesses and continuing to work and you develop symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, you should not go to work. If you feel any symptoms similar to a cold or flu, you may have contracted the COVID 19 virus, and are likely highly infectious. In these instances, stay home to recover, and contact your primary care physician for assistance.
If you are not feeling sick, the situation is more complicated. At this time, there are no confirmed cases of COVID 19 in Travis County. If cases of infection begin to emerge, risk of infection will rise with any increase in social contact.
The CDC is providing guidance to businesses and employers. Monitor the CDC website and the Austin Public Health website for updated information.
Should I keep my kids home from school?
Austin ISD is monitoring the situation closely and staying in daily contact with public health officials and public health experts. Monitor the Austin ISD website for updates and guidance.
Is it safe to travel?
Whether or not to travel at this time is a challenging question, and the answer depends on a variety of factors. Where are you going? Are your plans taking you to a location where the disease is spreading? While you are there, will you be in close contact to large groups of people? What would happen if you became infected? When you return, will you be in close contact with at-risk populations, such as the elderly or people with existing health conditions?
Travel to Europe is being restricted. Travel to other parts of the world and within the United States is not restricted at this time, but some regions have higher levels of infection than others. Travel at this time cannot but increase your risk for infection, but this may not be sufficient reason to cancel your travel plans due to other considerations.
For a comprehensive and current rundown of the various factors to take into account when considering travel, visit the CDC website.
When will there be a vaccine?
On March 3, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Anthony Fauci, stated, “It will take at least a year to a year and a half to have a vaccine we can use.”
To produce a vaccine, scientists produce what is called a template of the virus. Though the template can be produced rather quickly, testing must be done to determine whether the vaccine it produces is safe and effective. This testing can only be accelerated by so much.
The spread of the COVID 19 virus will be slowed by the development of immunity within the population, or by the production of a vaccine. Because a vaccine is such a long way away from being widely available, it is incumbent upon all of us to do our part to limit our exposure and reduce the likelihood of passing the infection to others.
What are the risk factors of getting sick? Risk factors for fatality?
Risk factors for contracting COVID 19 virus include older aged adults (70+), and people with serious chronic illness (diabetes, heart disease or lung disease), or compromised immune systems. If you are at higher risk for contracting the disease, it is very important for you to follow preventative measures.
Whether it’s 1% or 3.4% fatal, there have been confirmed fatalities in persons that have contracted COVID 19. However these numbers have been difficult to track, as most times these deaths have involved a patient who had an underlying comorbidity, or was elderly. In patients with no reported underlying conditions, the fatality rate dropped to 0.9%, according to one study.
Are there cases of COVID 19 in Austin?
According to http://www.austintexas.gov/COVID19, as of 3/30/20 there are 200 cases in Austin. To stay up to date on this information please visit the the site.
Can acupuncture help keep me from getting sick?
Generally speaking, yes. Acupuncture has been demonstrated to strengthen the immune system and aid in the recovery of a multitude of diseases. With regard to COVID 19, the situations is more complicated.
COVID 19 is a novel coronavirus. This means, as a species, humanity has not encountered this virus before. Therefore, no one has immunity. It is this aspect of COVID 19 that makes it so infectious and difficult to treat. Receiving acupuncture is not likely to reduce your chances of contracting COVID 19. There are several steps you can take to reduce the risk of infection that we cover in this FAQ.
Acupuncture treatment can boost your immune system so that you are less likely to have a severe reaction to the virus, however, this is not the same as reducing the likelihood you contract COVID 19.
To better help you from the comfort of your home, we are now offering virtual Telewellness appointments.
Here is a list of helpful links for updated information:
Austin Public Health - https://www.austintexas.gov/department/health
Texas Department of State Health Services - https://dshs.texas.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
World Health Organization - https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019