October 23, 2020
Dear editor;
A Message to Illinois Patients: B.E. W.E.L.L.
As we approach the holiday season and we continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time to double our efforts to minimize our exposure to the virus and to do everything possible to prevent its spread.
Therefore, we would like to provide you with friendly reminders about health and wellness tips that everyone constantly should be practicing:
• Be respectful, wear a mask!: Wear a mask when you’re in public to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Avoid masks that are made of materials that make it too hard to breathe. Avoid masks with valves or vents that allow virus particles to escape and masks that should be saved for health-care workers. Wear masks with two or more layers to help protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
• Establish social distancing: Practice social distancing by putting space between yourself and others who are not from your household. As we move most of our activities indoor, it is critically important. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends staying at least six feet or about two arms’ length from others.
• Wash your Hands: Wash your hands often and thoroughly to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Encourage your family members, particularly children, to wash their hands frequently.
• Eradicate influenza risk, get a flu shot: The CDC recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone six months and older. Research suggests patients can get sick with both the flu and COVID-19 at the same time, which could amplify the affects of both infections.
• Listen to your body, don’t ignore routine health care: Putting off regular visits to your physician or postponing care for chronic diseases only may exacerbate your condition. Be careful, but do not ignore your ongoing health care needs. And, if you think you’re sick, stay home! Monitor your symptoms, avoid close contact with everyone, and call ahead before visiting your doctor.
• Limit Holiday gatherings, especially indoor events. When planning to be host to a holiday celebration, you should assess current COVID-19 levels in your community to determine whether to postpone, cancel, or limit the number of attendees.
Sincerely,
Robert W. Panton, MD, president, Illinois State Medical Society, Elmwood Park
Shikha Jain, MD, co-founder, Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative Team (IMPACT), Chicago