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Editor’s Note: James P. Phillips, MD, is an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University, where he serves as chief of the Section for Disaster and Operations Medicine. Follow him on Twitter @DrPhillipsMD. The opinions expressed in this comment are the author’s own. See more in the opinion section on CNN.
(CNN) – We do not have to be defenseless against the coronavirus.
I understand that people want to feel that they are in control in what feels like an out of control situation. I call my father more often than a month ago, and he helps me understand the anxiety he and others over 60 feel when they are inundated with reports that they are the most “vulnerable” to the effects of the virus.
Anxiety extends far beyond older Americans. Just look at the number of conferences canceled, the number of companies telling staff to work from home, the national shortage of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and other products in physical and online stores.
The patients I see at my job as a doctor in the Emergency department speak of a general feeling of helplessness, like a tidal wave is approaching, and there is nothing they can do except wash their hands, try to find hand sanitizer in the black market, stay home and pray.
The virus known as SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease called Covid-19, is currently spreading worldwide despite our best efforts, and I believe it will continue to do so. For each state, for each country. As I wrote for CNN last week, I accept that my profession makes my own contagion seem almost inevitable. Naturally, people cry out for answers to questions that are currently unanswered. I’ll get it? How many people will become infected and what percentage of them will die? Who will die?
No one can say for sure. If you hear someone say they can, you shouldn’t believe them and should evaluate their agenda.
There are too many variables to allow perfect predictions: potential seasonal variation, how well a population follows public health recommendations, and the possible discovery of therapeutic drugs, to name a few.
As new infection numbers seem to decrease in China and South Korea, it should be noted that our countries have different social and cultural norms that could play a role, including differences in the fulfillment of government wishes and a some degree of social privacy. Furthermore, there are political differences: the authoritarian measures used to socially isolate tens of millions of Chinese citizens are not realistic options in western democracies like ours.
Of those who contract the virus, many will require hospitalization for pneumonia and / or complications of their pre-existing conditions. Among those hospitalized, studies show that a significant number will develop a complicated disease process called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Many of these patients will require ICU care and a mechanical ventilator, and the simple math makes many of us working in the health care fear that we may run out of rooms and ventilators in the coming months. Mathematics matter.
So far, the coronavirus does not appear to be affecting healthy children and as a parent of a 2 year old, it comforts me. A recent study published in the medical journal “The Lancet”, while small, also offers some hope that pregnant women will not pass the virus on to their babies. As the husband of a very pregnant and understanding wife, this is also hopeful news.
I offer this: you are not helpless. There are other things that can be done to strengthen yourself. Firstly, the recommended public health measures, such as washing hands, keeping physical distance, and avoiding large gatherings, are truly the best means of protecting yourself from exposure. Prevention is and will continue to be the best medicine. However, many will still become infected despite following these practices.
What else can you do to improve your chances of beating Covid-19 if it becomes infected? A key step: strengthen your health now, before you get sick. Studies have shown that people at higher risk are over the age of 60 and / or have pre-existing health problems such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, lung disease, or general deterioration.
If you have these (or other) medical problems, you can choose to be proactive and start tackling them with your best effort, starting today. That blood pressure medicine you never take because you hate taking pills and it makes you feel old, start taking it today. If you rarely, if ever, check your blood sugar and have allowed your diabetes to get out of control because finger sticks and insulin injections are bothersome, check your sugar starting today. Do you have asthma or lung disease? Constantly start using your prescription inhalers.
And, for heaven’s sake, quit smoking and using e-cigarettes right away. Make a commitment to lose 10 pounds this month and force yourself to walk at least a mile every day, starting today. Get a flu shot right now.
Even people without diagnosed medical problems should monitor their health. Exercise, weight loss, a healthy diet, and good sleep are certainly beneficial to your body. Committing to doing those simple things that your doctors have recommended for years has the power to improve your resilience. How much? It depends. But faced with this virus, even a very small step in your overall health could be the difference between mild or more severe symptoms, and for some, it could mean the difference between life and death.
Don’t feel helpless. Do your best not to get the virus. But make sure that if you do, you are already in a stronger position.
Be prepared, not scared.
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