COVID-19 Check-in: tell us how you are doing & what is happening where you live

[Rod Dalglish]

In Australia our government has been very proactive in preparing the medical profession and the population for the challenges presented by COVID-19. Drive thru clinics have been setup for safe, fast testing and the appropriate warnings re hand washing / hygiene, avoiding crowds etc have been promoted thru all media channels. Both state and federal governments have contributed billions of dollars and appropriate resources to hospitals, aged care facilities and medical researchers. My doctor and MND nurses have explained the very serious risk that this virus presents to MND / ALS patients, so please monitor your physical contacts, hygiene and personal environment.

[Dagmar]

As of today, there are only 9 confirmed cases in the entire state of Arizona, so, we are lucky. However, I’m following all the guidelines – – limiting social contact, staying home, keeping hands clean, etc. Our little town of 30,000 is a retirement community, meaning most everyone is over 65 years old, so this will be a challenge! Earlier this week, I skipped a monthly meeting of my fiber guild, knowing 50+ women over 65 would be attending. Especially, knowing they are frequent and recent “cruisers” and “travel tour” participants. This weekend, rather than having a meal out at a favorite local restaurant, my husband and I will be ordering online and picking it up via drive thru lane. Am I being overly cautious? Who knows… I’ll risk living in a state of agoraphobia for a few weeks, to avoid getting sick 🙂

[Cate]

Here in Massachusetts they just closed all the schools, restaurants are take-out only, and no public gatherings over 25 people. My company now has an everyone works from home policy. My dog is thrilled! My birthday is next weekend and I’m debating about whether my kids should come over–they’re 23 and 27 and work with the public. But I feel like my birthdays are limited at this point.

Serious question: my left hand is all but useless; right hand functions almost normally. That makes it very difficult to wash my hands thoroughly. Any advice?

[Diana Belland]

My husband and I returned from a ten day cruise to our home in Ohio on March 6.  We now realize how lucky we were to have made the trip at all and to be symptom free still nearly two weeks later.

These recent news items describe what’s happening in Ohio:

“In the space of two weeks, orders mandated by Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton designed to slow the spread of coronavirus have dramatically altered Ohioans’ daily life.

The DeWine administration has banned public gatherings of more than 100, closed K-12 schools for at least three weeks and shut down dine-in service in bars and restaurants. On top of that, colleges have gone to online learning and shut down dormitories and visits to prisons, youth detention centers, jails, psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes have been suspended.

On Wednesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine took another step in trying to contain the COVID-19 coronavirus, ordering the closure of salons, barbershops and tattoo parlors. In addition, DeWine said the current three-week closure of schools in the state likely will be extended, but it’s unclear how long.” 

And, the Ohio primary was the only one of four this past Tuesday to be canceled.

Our oldest daughter is a physician working in a hospital and a nursing home in New York City.  She has had to attend to patients with Coronavirus and is keenly aware of the risks to people with underlying conditions and the elderly.  She has given me strict orders not to go out for any reason, including doctor’s appointments. Although my FVC is still very high and I’ve not noticed any problems with breathing, my daughter told me bluntly that if I were to contract Coronavirus, it could be fatal for me, not only because I have ALS but because the hospital treating me might not have enough ventilators and other equipment. The shortage of equipment for patients  (and protective devices for medical personnel such as N95 masks) that exists even at her large and highly regarded hospital in New York City has forced her to face the harsh reality that she and her colleagues won’t be able to prevent patient deaths ad may have to ration care.

I’ve rescheduled my four month visit with my neurologist from March 23 to late April on her advice.   My husband does the grocery shopping once or twice a week.  He was told by a clerk to try to come early in the morning because by mid-morning many of the shelves are empty.   He always takes care to wash his hands thoroughly after coming home and before preparing my food or assisting me with moving around the house.

To Cate:  I have trouble washing my hands thoroughly, too.   I often just use disinfectant wipes instead.