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COVID-19: Medical Professionals Answer Your Common Questions

This Sunday’s Mighty Meetup was a live interview with RN Carly Paquin and Dr. Noor Al-Humaidhi, two of the incredible healthcare professionals working on the front lines of COVID in Boston.  They shared with us what their experiences have been like and then answered some of the Frequently Asked Questions brought to us by… YOU!  Our Friends in the Fight!  Thank you for those of you who submitted questions or were able to join us live.  

Here are some highlights from the conversation, or just watch it yourself below.  We hope to see you at our next Mighty Meetup! 

Why is this coronavirus such a big deal?

It is novel.  Most cold and flu viruses have been around a long time and so some of us are already immune.  COVID-19 is entirely new, so our bodies haven’t met it before.

How are you seeing preexisting conditions affecting how patients are treated for COVID-19?

Everyone’s body’s different.  I’ve seen some patients with the same history — some do well and some don’t.  We know more than we did a week ago, but we still don’t really know much.  It’s ever-evolving and every week we have something else new to learn.

Can you help us set the record straight on masks?

Droplet masks, which are what you can make, protect others from your droplets.  If you sneeze, for example, you scatter your droplets all over the place.  If you’re wearing a mask, then you generally contain most — not all — of your droplets within your mask.  The CDC is saying we should all be wearing masks (and the CDC website is great!). 

What is “presumed positive” and how is this being tracked?

Presumed positive is a patient who has been admitted to the hospital for treatment and have a pending test but we think that they are positive.  Those are not part of the CDC numbers at the moment.  If they die, they do become part of the CDC numbers.  Anyone who is being told to treat at home and not come into the hospital are not being tracked by public health.  

The take home from this, and to circle back to the masks, is that there are people with coronavirus who have not been tested, do not have a positive result, that may be going about their day as normal. You have to protect yourself as best you can — hand washing, be careful about what you touch, don’t touch your face, use hand sanitizer, and wear a mask where you can!

How do you deal with groceries? 

Just be mindful — if you put them on the table, make sure to wipe down the table.  Try to wipe down each item before putting them away, and then go on with your day.

As someone with chronic illness, if something goes wrong, should I go to the hospital or try to stay home to avoid getting COVID-19?

Do not stay out of the hospital.  If you need medical care, it is there for you.  They are doing a great job at treating these patients separately.  So if you are unwell and need medical care, you should get medical care.  You will do more harm to yourself by staying home.

Want to join events like this live?  Have an idea for an event you’d like to join?  We’d love to hear it!  Join our Friends in the Fight facebook group to let us know.

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