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With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting a sharp increase in Coronavirus-19 cases across the United States, there are a few things to keep in mind this Thanksgiving, whether you will be traveling for the holiday, or remaining aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California.
“Fortunately, with vaccines in production, there is light at the end of the pandemic ‘tunnel,’” said Col. Craig C. Clemans, MCLB Barstow’s commanding officer. “Unfortunately, the cases nationwide and in Barstow are spiking.” According to the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker here are the latest numbers for the U.S. and California: The CDC also reports that the hospitalization rates for COVID-19 have been steadily increasing since the end of September and mirror the increase in U.S. cases of COVID-19.
The CDC’s “U.S. Virological Surveillance” indicates the following:
• Nationally, of the more than 3.1 million people tested in week 45 of the pandemic, nearly 11 percent tested positive.
• This is an increase compared to week 44 when slightly more than 8 percent tested positive.
• The percentages of people testing positive increased among all age groups.
“COVID-19 symptoms range from mild to severe, and may appear any time from 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus,” said Dr. Ernest C. Lee, medical doctor with Occupational Health Detachment Barstow, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. Symptoms include: Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.
“If you have a fever, cough or other symptoms described earlier, or if you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19, you should contact your private healthcare provider,” Dr. Lee said.
He also offers these suggestions for what you can do if you are feeling ill:
• Stay home, unless you have severe symptoms as described. Most people with COVID-19 experience mild symptoms and can recover at home without medical care.
• Take over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen, to help you feel better.
• Stay in touch with your doctor. Call before you go in for medical care. Be sure to get care if you have trouble breathing, or have any other emergency warning signs, or if you think it is an emergency.
• Avoid public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.
• Separate yourself from other people as much as possible. If you must go outside, wear a mask.
• Tell your close contacts that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting 48 hours (or 2 days) before the person shows any symptoms or tests positive.
If someone is having trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or bluish lips or face, Lee said they should seek emergency medical care immediately.
“COVID-19 spreads easily from person to person through inhalation of respiratory droplets,” he explained. “People whom are infected but do not show symptoms can also spread the virus to others.”
So what does this mean for your holiday week? If you plan to travel, do it safely. Use precautions, and good hygiene. Do your part to slow the spread by following these guidelines:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, after blowing your nose, before eating or preparing food, and before touching your face
Use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol.
Maintain at least a 6 foot distance from others, both inside your home and when out in public.
Wear a mask when around others even if you do not feel sick.
• DO NOT use a mask on children under age 2, anyone with breathing difficulties, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
• DO NOT use a mask meant for a medical professionals. N95 respirators are critical supplies that should be reserved for healthcare workers and first responders.
Clean and disinfect frequently
• Including tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
• Use detergent or household disinfectant.
A virtual Thanksgiving meal can be hosted for friends and family whom do not live with you. Schedule a time to share recipes and show off the turkey, dressing, and other dishes. Over-the-counter vitamins and supplements can help.
“One study found that people taking vitamin D supplements, particularly those with low vitamin D levels, were less likely to develop acute respiratory tract infections than those who didn’t,” Lee said.
Flu vaccinations are more important than ever this year.
“The flu vaccine protects yourself, your family and your community from flu,” he said. “A flu vaccine this season can also help reduce the burden on our healthcare system and first responders dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It can save medical resources for care of COVID-19 patients.
“For all of us, ‘COVID fatigue’ is setting in,” Col. Clemans said. “Agree or disagree with the Governor’s mandates, aboard MCLB, we exercise mitigating measures to protect the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. We exercise mitigating measures because each positive test result triggers reporting requirements, contact tracing, disinfectant efforts, additional quarantine of others who were in contact, and ultimately, a loss of productivity. As always, our collective mission at MCLB is to support those personnel forward deployed, and to always be most prepared to support the next fight. I appreciate and respect everyone’s unrelenting ‘mission first’ mentality, and sustained exercise of the self-discipline required to remain healthy and productive!”
| Date Taken: | 11.25.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.25.2020 16:35 |
| Story ID: | 383853 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 149 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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