How to Best Protect Your Community
Author - Cameron Deckett, MS, ATC
We are just over a month since the first coronavirus diagnosis was confirmed in our state. With an end of this pandemic currently nowhere in sight, it is important to stay vigilant. Bluegrass Orthopaedics wants to encourage you to support and protect your community.
At this point, it is crucial that we do everything we can to protect those around us so the most vulnerable Kentuckians stay safe and healthy. The last thing we want is the decisions we make today lead to someone not being there for family Christmas celebrations, Friday night football games, or the Lexington Thriller Parade. When life begins the transition back to normal, we want to make sure that we are all there to experience it together.
Here are 3 actions you can take to make Kentucky a safer place:
Stay Healthy at Home
One of the most important aspects that we can do is to stay at home when possible. If you can reduce the amount of contacts that you have with people around you, then you can reduce the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus. As this has drawn on, we have seen our friends and family less and less. As this is getting more difficult, we may think that seeing a family member or friend is not that big of a deal, but we have to remember the risk. One thing I am constantly reminding myself of: "Is this inconvenience for me something I can deal with for the sake of someone else's life?" I have a wife that works in a nursing home, so every contact I make in the outside work, has the possibility of spreading to the vulnerable residents of that nursing home. Yes, it may be inconvenient, but it is worth it to make sure our loved ones, and someone else's loved ones stay safe and healthy so we can reconnect when this is all over.
Wear a Mask in Public
We understand that it is impossible to stay home all the time, especially when it comes to getting food for your family, and for going to your job. When you do have to leave the home for essential activities, we recommend wearing some sort of mask, especially in places that social distancing is difficult. The CDC has recommended the wearing of cloth facial covering. This is different from surgical masks or N95 masks, because it is advised that we keep the stock of those higher for those working in the medical field. This can be as simple as a scarf over your face or wearing an at-home sewn mask. Wearing a cloth covering is not an action to protect yourself though. It is an action to protect those around you. This virus can be carried and transmitted by those who do not even know they have it. Some may develop symptoms; others may not develop symptoms at all. Wearing a mask reduces the amount of virus that you can spread, by blocking respiratory droplets from your mouth from going into the air. This can stop someone else from getting infected. We recommend this step because it gives each person the responsibility to reduce the risk of spreading the virus when it is necessary to leave the home.
Utilize Telemedicine When Possible
Even in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, other injuries and illnesses do not stop happening. People in our community are going to continue to get hurt and sick, and during this time, we recommend the use of telemedicine. Telemedicine is the use of technology to visit a doctor at home. This can reduce your contact with the outside world and can still allow you the care you need. We still advise the emergency room if it is an urgent emergency, but things that are not dire can be evaluated at home to mitigate risk of infection. Instead of visiting the emergency room and being around people who may have the coronavirus, you can receive care for your health problems from the comfort of your home. If your problems do need further care, these telemedicine appointments can help you get an appointment with the needed specialist. Bluegrass Orthopaedics is utilizing telemedicine right now, and we have been seeing patients using our telemedicine platform Ortholive. It has been easy to use, and our patients are still getting the excellent care they deserve while keeping themselves safe.
Your health is important to us,
even in the midst of a pandemic. We hope these recommendations can keep you,
your family, and your community safe during these tumultuous times. Our
community is important to us; it is our family. As a part of that community, we
want to keep it as healthy as possible. If you have any orthopedic issues, call
us and we will give you the best that we can. Most importantly, stay safe and
stay healthy.
