The Pioneer Perspective

I have been thinking a lot about our current situation with the pandemic wreaking havoc on our community and country. Truly I believe the fear around the pandemic is wreaking the greatest havoc. As this is my first "blog" post I thought I'd put down some observations and thoughts that I have had in no particular order so here it goes. . .

- I am reassured by the local outpouring of help and community support.

- No one has all the answers or there isn't always a right and wrong answer, we are having to learn along the way.

- The same precautions we take to prevent any illness will have a positive impact on Covid19 spread as well. Measures to help include staying home when you are sick, washing your hands frequently for 20 seconds, avoiding touching your face, maintaining social distancing so far as possible, covering your mouth and nose especially if you cough or sneeze.

- In Washington State the number of new cases and the deaths per day are declining over the last week.

- Flattening the curve was not likely to reduce the overall number of cases or even fatalities related to the disease but rather to slow the spread so as to avoid overwhelming the medical facilities all at once. This has been successful so far for Washington State and elsewhere.

- We have increased the amount of testing overall in different forms. We now believe that testing and contact tracing will be the backbone in the response to ongoing infections. Most urgent cares and hospitals have testing available on site and in Spokane, the fairgrounds drive in testing facility will likely be open through the end of April.

- There are several treatments being investigated at the present time, some of which are showing promise.

- We are discovering more and more about how the virus causes the damage to our bodies and the possible role our own immune system is playing in this damage.

- Vaccines are in the works for this virus and will likely be available sooner than we realize.

- The virus is not very resistant to higher temperatures such as outdoor summer temps. This just means it won't be hanging out on surfaces outside nearly as much.

- Being healthy puts each of us in the best position to avoid the complications from an infection. These healthy habits include not smoking, not drinking to excess, getting regular physical activity, keeping your BMI below 30 (i.e. not staying in the obese category), eating a healthy diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits, and getting enough sleep.

- In the end, the responsibility for maintaining our health and avoiding disease rests with each of us individually.

- As it says in the New Testament, charity never faileth! I really try to look with a charitable eye on those around me. This includes my family, neighbors, other health care workers, citizens working or being prevented from working, and even our leaders.

Keep practicing the art of living a healthy life even in these difficult times!

As always, if I can help in any way, please feel free to contact me through email, text or phone. Also feel free to respond to this post with any thoughts of your own.