This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/12/smarter-living/coronavirus-recovered-how-to-help.html

The article has changed 32 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Recovered From Coronavirus? Here’s How You Can Help Recovered From Coronavirus? Here’s How You Can Help
(about 2 months later)
We’re all in this weird, confusing state of feeling powerless: We want to help, but the most helpful thing any of us can do is to stay at home.We’re all in this weird, confusing state of feeling powerless: We want to help, but the most helpful thing any of us can do is to stay at home.
But what about people who have recovered from the novel coronavirus and most likely have some level of immunity? I belong to that group, and there are at least 25,000 of us in the United States. Is there more can we do?But what about people who have recovered from the novel coronavirus and most likely have some level of immunity? I belong to that group, and there are at least 25,000 of us in the United States. Is there more can we do?
Yes, but with many caveats. Although the emerging consensus is that recovered patients will most likely have immunity for some time, meaning they cannot spread the disease through coughing, sneezing or breathing, it is still possible to transmit it through contact, like touching a surface with the virus and transferring it elsewhere, cautioned Dr. Ebb Lautenbach, chief of infectious diseases at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.Yes, but with many caveats. Although the emerging consensus is that recovered patients will most likely have immunity for some time, meaning they cannot spread the disease through coughing, sneezing or breathing, it is still possible to transmit it through contact, like touching a surface with the virus and transferring it elsewhere, cautioned Dr. Ebb Lautenbach, chief of infectious diseases at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
“It’s worth bearing in mind in that when you’ve recovered from the disease, you still want to maintain good hygiene practices,” Dr. Lautenbach said. “The same things that you were doing before — meticulous hand hygiene, decontamination of environmental surfaces, not shaking hands, sneezing into your elbow — those are all good pieces of advice for people to continue to do,” he said.“It’s worth bearing in mind in that when you’ve recovered from the disease, you still want to maintain good hygiene practices,” Dr. Lautenbach said. “The same things that you were doing before — meticulous hand hygiene, decontamination of environmental surfaces, not shaking hands, sneezing into your elbow — those are all good pieces of advice for people to continue to do,” he said.
He added that while Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, has consumed the public psyche, other viral diseases, like the flu, are still going around.He added that while Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, has consumed the public psyche, other viral diseases, like the flu, are still going around.
Still, there are ways to help that recovered people are uniquely suited for — so long as you take necessary precautions.Still, there are ways to help that recovered people are uniquely suited for — so long as you take necessary precautions.
Before you do anything, wait at least 14 days since the date of your last symptom. That’s the required amount of time to be eligible to donate convalescent plasma donations (more on that below), but it also provides a buffer so you don’t unintentionally spread the disease while still infected.Before you do anything, wait at least 14 days since the date of your last symptom. That’s the required amount of time to be eligible to donate convalescent plasma donations (more on that below), but it also provides a buffer so you don’t unintentionally spread the disease while still infected.
In a study published in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers found that “half of the patients they treated for mild Covid-19 infection still had coronavirus for up to eight days after symptoms disappeared.”In a study published in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers found that “half of the patients they treated for mild Covid-19 infection still had coronavirus for up to eight days after symptoms disappeared.”
At a bare minimum, the current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise people who are recovering to continue self-isolation for at least seven days after symptoms appear and at least three days after fever disappears without the aid of medication and respiratory symptoms show improvement, and to continue to wear a nonmedical mask when in public.At a bare minimum, the current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise people who are recovering to continue self-isolation for at least seven days after symptoms appear and at least three days after fever disappears without the aid of medication and respiratory symptoms show improvement, and to continue to wear a nonmedical mask when in public.
This is the most important thing recovered patients can do to help.This is the most important thing recovered patients can do to help.
Once a person recovers from Covid-19, his or her blood contains antibodies in its plasma that can fight the virus. Those antibodies can be extracted from a donor’s blood and given to a severely ill patient via transfusion, with the hope that the donor’s antibodies will help the patient recover.Once a person recovers from Covid-19, his or her blood contains antibodies in its plasma that can fight the virus. Those antibodies can be extracted from a donor’s blood and given to a severely ill patient via transfusion, with the hope that the donor’s antibodies will help the patient recover.
The use of convalescent plasma — plasma from people convalescing, or recovering — to treat illnesses has been around for a century, as doctors used the process to treat patients as far back as the Spanish flu in 1918. More recently, the treatment has been used on patients with polio, measles, SARS and other illnesses, and there is anecdotal evidence and new data that show it could be effective in treating patients with severe cases of Covid-19, according to Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the American Red Cross.The use of convalescent plasma — plasma from people convalescing, or recovering — to treat illnesses has been around for a century, as doctors used the process to treat patients as far back as the Spanish flu in 1918. More recently, the treatment has been used on patients with polio, measles, SARS and other illnesses, and there is anecdotal evidence and new data that show it could be effective in treating patients with severe cases of Covid-19, according to Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the American Red Cross.
“We certainly are getting anecdotal reports in,” Dr. Young said, that “seem to be very positive,” adding that some people who have received convalescent plasma are stabilizing and requiring less oxygen.“We certainly are getting anecdotal reports in,” Dr. Young said, that “seem to be very positive,” adding that some people who have received convalescent plasma are stabilizing and requiring less oxygen.
Still, there is not yet conclusive evidence the procedure will be effective in treating Covid-19, and the process is very early on.Still, there is not yet conclusive evidence the procedure will be effective in treating Covid-19, and the process is very early on.
A spokeswoman for the Mount Sinai Health System in New York said that about 30 patients had received the treatment so far, with a few hundred more expected in the coming weeks. Dr. Young said the Red Cross collected only one donation of convalescent plasma the week of March 30 with several more expected last week, and that it could be as long as half a year until it is definitively known whether it works.A spokeswoman for the Mount Sinai Health System in New York said that about 30 patients had received the treatment so far, with a few hundred more expected in the coming weeks. Dr. Young said the Red Cross collected only one donation of convalescent plasma the week of March 30 with several more expected last week, and that it could be as long as half a year until it is definitively known whether it works.
Still, with a small, but growing, body of research that is indicating positive results, “we can be somewhat optimistic about convalescent plasma as being an effective therapy,” Dr. Young said.Still, with a small, but growing, body of research that is indicating positive results, “we can be somewhat optimistic about convalescent plasma as being an effective therapy,” Dr. Young said.
To qualify, donors must pass normal blood-donation requirements and be symptom-free of Covid-19 for at least 14 days, and, in most cases, must have positive results from a test. (Other restrictions may apply, depending on the organization.) Recovered patients can donate once every 28 days, and the process to donate can take 90 minutes to two and a half hours.To qualify, donors must pass normal blood-donation requirements and be symptom-free of Covid-19 for at least 14 days, and, in most cases, must have positive results from a test. (Other restrictions may apply, depending on the organization.) Recovered patients can donate once every 28 days, and the process to donate can take 90 minutes to two and a half hours.
Many health care institutions nationwide are involved in plasma donations, including the Red Cross, so to find a location near you go to the website for the National Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma Project, at ccpp19.org, or visit the Red Cross’s website.Many health care institutions nationwide are involved in plasma donations, including the Red Cross, so to find a location near you go to the website for the National Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma Project, at ccpp19.org, or visit the Red Cross’s website.
First, the good news: Partly because of a drop in hospital blood demand and the cancellation of elective surgeries, the nation’s overall blood supply has been able to meet demand since around the end of last month, according to Dr. Young.First, the good news: Partly because of a drop in hospital blood demand and the cancellation of elective surgeries, the nation’s overall blood supply has been able to meet demand since around the end of last month, according to Dr. Young.
Updated June 5, 2020
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
However: Blood banks still need donations, because although there is an equilibrium, the outbreak has made it impossible to predict what demand will look like even a few weeks ahead.However: Blood banks still need donations, because although there is an equilibrium, the outbreak has made it impossible to predict what demand will look like even a few weeks ahead.
“We anticipate that the pandemic will only worsen in terms of numbers of people affected, and that will continue to put added pressures on the blood supply,” Dr. Young said. She added that people should “think about not just what we need today, but what we might need in two weeks or four weeks as the situation continues to be dynamic and likely worsen.”“We anticipate that the pandemic will only worsen in terms of numbers of people affected, and that will continue to put added pressures on the blood supply,” Dr. Young said. She added that people should “think about not just what we need today, but what we might need in two weeks or four weeks as the situation continues to be dynamic and likely worsen.”
The anxiety of leaving home has caused many people to cancel donations, Dr. Young said, but the Red Cross has enacted strict safety protocols at all donation centers, including temperature checks for donors before they enter, masks for staff members and hand sanitizer throughout donation areas.The anxiety of leaving home has caused many people to cancel donations, Dr. Young said, but the Red Cross has enacted strict safety protocols at all donation centers, including temperature checks for donors before they enter, masks for staff members and hand sanitizer throughout donation areas.
If you’d like to donate, check out the American Association of Blood Banks locator, visit the Red Cross website or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. You can also find information through the America’s Blood Centers website.If you’d like to donate, check out the American Association of Blood Banks locator, visit the Red Cross website or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. You can also find information through the America’s Blood Centers website.
If you have fully recovered and have waited the appropriate amount of time, you can consider offering assistance to neighbors and friends, particularly those in high-risk categories, like older people and those with existing health conditions. Consider reaching out to people in your community to let them know you’re available.If you have fully recovered and have waited the appropriate amount of time, you can consider offering assistance to neighbors and friends, particularly those in high-risk categories, like older people and those with existing health conditions. Consider reaching out to people in your community to let them know you’re available.
However, remember to follow all of the standard safety protocols, especially washing your hands often and decontaminating things you take into people’s homes.However, remember to follow all of the standard safety protocols, especially washing your hands often and decontaminating things you take into people’s homes.
“You can find active virus on environmental surfaces, and that includes things you would pick up in a grocery store,” Dr. Lautenbach said. “The likelihood, if you practice good hand hygiene and good environmental decontamination, of you bringing in virus that way is low, but it’s not zero.”“You can find active virus on environmental surfaces, and that includes things you would pick up in a grocery store,” Dr. Lautenbach said. “The likelihood, if you practice good hand hygiene and good environmental decontamination, of you bringing in virus that way is low, but it’s not zero.”
If you’ve recovered but don’t want to venture outside, there are still many ways to help:If you’ve recovered but don’t want to venture outside, there are still many ways to help:
If you’re not sure where to donate money, visit Charity Navigator, which evaluates the efficacy of donations to charities.If you’re not sure where to donate money, visit Charity Navigator, which evaluates the efficacy of donations to charities.
To contribute directly to assisting with medical supplies, donate to Relief International and Heart to Heart International.To contribute directly to assisting with medical supplies, donate to Relief International and Heart to Heart International.
For food donations, consider giving to Feeding America, which is the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.For food donations, consider giving to Feeding America, which is the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.
To help children, you can donate to UNICEF, Save the Children and First Book.To help children, you can donate to UNICEF, Save the Children and First Book.
And many more ways highlighted here: How You Can Help Victims of the Coronavirus PandemicAnd many more ways highlighted here: How You Can Help Victims of the Coronavirus Pandemic