A PUBLIC HEALTH DIETETIC INTERN’S TAKE ON COVID-19: LET’S FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN CONTROL

03.16.2020

covid-19

I think we are all a bit shook as to how quickly things escalated in regards to COVID-19. Last Thursday night, I was getting my hair colored and I got an email from my dietetic internship program director that we are putting supervised practice at the hospital on pause due to the quickly spreading coronavirus. I’ll get into the internship stuff in another blog post, but for this one, I want to focus on providing tips within my scope of practice or from credible experts and actionable steps you can take to optimize your health, prevent the spread, help your community, and keep your mental health in check during these stressful times.

With the overwhelming amount of information, I want to encourage you guys to find that delicate balance of being informed but not overly consumed by the COVID-19 news. By writing this blog post, I understand that I am contributing to the overwhelming amount of information, but I would find it to be wrong to not use this platform to project accurate information I find extremely relevant and practical at this time with my background in public health, food, and nutrition.

The internet is saturated with an overwhelming amount of information. It’s difficult to pick through the information when it is constantly being thrown at us. I encourage all of you to use credible, well-informed resources like the CDC to stay up-to-date on the latest information and what to do at this time. Knowledge is power!

I’m NO EXPERT in infectious disease by any means — just an educated, informed citizen. My dietetic internship at Loyola has a concentration in Public Health. The recommendations I’m giving are based on my public health and nutrition studies and other credible sources.

I like to say that I am a very “cautiously optimistic” person; I try to look at things with a positive attitude and make informed decisions with the information I have at that time. With the crazy amount of information on the internet, I think that there isn’t much talk around what we can CONTROL. Yes, things are chaotic AF, but receiving fear-based information and recommendations isn’t helping us take level-headed action or sustain this isolation in good mental health. I encourage you to change your focus from what is out of control to what’s in your control! Let’s be “front foot thinking” — taking initiative and being PROACTIVE rather than being caught on the back foot and being reactive and defensive.

On Ryan Holiday’s most recent Daily Stoic email, he quoted:

“The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own…” — Epictetus, Discourses, 2.5.4–5

What we CAN control is how we respond:

  • WASHING OUR HANDS: Did you know that there is a right way to wash your hands? HERE is where you a become a hand washing EXPERT ( s/o CDC for the tips ) This includes:
    • Wet your hands with clean, running water ( warm or cold ), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
    • Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
    • Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
    • Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
    • Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
  • PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING: Aren’t we lucky to have easy access to our loved ones via Facetime, text, or call?!
    • AVOID: traveling, bars, crowded restaurants, parties, group gathering, sleep overs, play dates, concert/theaters/athletic events, religious services, visitors in your homes, malls, gyms, non-essential workers in your home, mass transit, anywhere you cannot maintain more than a 6 foot distance from others
    • USE WITH CAUTION: grocery stores, non-crowded restaurants, pharmacies, getting take-out ( wipe down containers, use drop off services ), drive through restaurants, and playing in the park
    • SAFE TO DO: take a walk ( >6 feet distance from others ), go for a hike, clean out your closet, read, listen to music, cook ( YOU’VE GOT HELLA RECIPES ON AHTK !! 😉 ), play family game night, group video chats, watch TV or a movie, call and check in on friends
  • HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE IN PRECARIOUS SITUATIONS: Isn’t this the perfect time to give back and help your community? See if you can help an older adult ( age ≥ 65 years ) or at individual with chronic medical conditions &/or immunocompromised state that may put them at higher risk for poor outcomes ( diabetes, heart disease, receiving immunosuppressive medications, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease ) with a grocery run.
    • Wipe the packaged goods with Chlorox wipes for extra precaution!
  • DON’T HOARD: Hoarding goods hurts other members of the community who lack resources to prepare. Stock up slowly on foods and goods so others can do so as well!
    • MEDICAL RESOURCES: Don’t tie up medical resources that you don’t need — save the masks for doctors, nurses, and others healthcare professionals who need them
  • SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS: You can support your local restaurant that operates on tight profit margins by buying a gift card. Restaurants collect gift card revenue as soon as the card is purchased. If you’re in a position to buy a gift card and hold it for a while, you’ll be helping your fave restaurant get through a tough time! Also good to have in your back pocket for the next time you forget to buy someone a gift… ( Haven’t we all been there?? )
  • AT HOME WORKOUTS: It’s time to dust off those ankle weights and dumbbells that have been sitting in your closet and put them to WERK! One of my fave IG accounts, @sweatsandthecity, curated a fabulous list of the current streaming deals:
  • BATCH YOUR ORDERS: As an online shop-aholic, this is especially relevant! I didn’t think of this until I read it on Ryan Holiday’s Daily Stoic newsletter. Holiday recommends batching your online orders if you’re stocking up to reduce the need for inefficient shipments and stress on already stressed supply chains.
  • OPTIMIZE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:
    • Simple ways to optimize your immune system per Harvard Health Publishing recommendation:
      • Don’t smoke
      • Fill up on fruits and veggies
      • If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation
      • Get adequate sleep
      • Minimize stress
      • Exercise regularly
    • OTHER TIPS: Check the expiration date before you eat anything! If there is a time we find out how many forgotten, expired items are in the back of our fridge, it is now😜
  • SELF-QUARANTINE & SELF-ISOLATE:
    • According to the CDC, the virus is mainly spread from person-to-person. This can be b/w people who are in close contact (within ~6 feet) or through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms can appear 2-14 days after exposure including: fever, cough, shortness of breath.
    • Per CDC report, those who are most contagious are those who have symptoms. The reason we want to self-isolate, even if we don’t have symptoms, is because some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
    • If you believe you may have been exposed to COVID-19, stay in your home for two weeks to keep others safe. Your community will THANK YOU for staying in. It’s the right thing to do!!
  • IF YOU’RE SICK: Per CDC recommendation ( more here ):
    • STAY AWAY FROM OTHERS: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.
    • CALL AHEAD: If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
    • IF YOU’RE SICK: You should wear a facemask when you are around other people ( ex. sharing a room or vehicle ) or pets and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office.
    • SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION: Seek prompt medical attention if your illness is worsening ( ex. difficulty breathing ).
    • CALL YOUR DOC AHEAD OF TIME: Before seeking care, call your healthcare provider and tell them that you have, or are being evaluated for COVID-19.
    • WEAR A FACEMASK WHEN SICK: Put on a facemask before you enter the facility to avoid exposing or infecting other people in the office or waiting room.
  • BE A LEADER & PRACTICE SKEPTICISM: Practice skepticism on the internet; don’t spread misinformation about the virus! Ask yourself: “Is there a paper-trail from this resource? If there is a paper-trail, can I trace this information back to a credible source?” I suggest going to the most credible source to get the most up-to-date information, the CDC.
  • PRACTICE GRATITUDE: Thank the doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel who are on the front lines of this pandemic. They are the heroes that deserve every bit of appreciation as we battle COVID-19.
  • USE YOUR TIME IN ISOLATION WISELY: Holiday also noted in his newsletter, “You can’t control how long you’ll need to engage in social distancing, but you can control if you spend that time productively.” What will you do during your time in isolation to make yourself a better version of yourself?

I hope these tips and actionable steps are helpful to you!

What are YOU going to do to be proactive, flatten the curve, help your community, and optimize your health?! What steps are you taking right now to make yourself a better version of yourself when we come out of isolation? How are you going to make POSITIVITY more contagious?!

xx hails

**Note: These recommendations may change, per CDC protocol. I’m no expert in infectious disease, nor do I claim to be. 

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