As summer is nearing its end, the ever-changing pandemic is still raging on, and we are constantly faced with new hurdles that we have to deal with. Centers for palliative care in Los Angeles has been working hard to make sure that all of their health professionals are keeping up to date with all the changes in Covid-19 information. 

Without a doubt, the pandemic has not only affected the way the hospice in Pasadena works, but it has also disrupted the way people, cities, and even how the world lives and transcends. The biggest industry that has had the hardest hit is travel since our mobility has been stagnated as we try to stay in one place during this outbreak to reduce the spread.

It is ideal to do your best to monitor the development of the pandemic and follow government requirements, which has been a fundamental tool for many of us during this unprecedented time. However, Faith and Hope, a hospice in Los Angeles, has gone the extra mile for you to create a few lessons our healthcare workers have learned about Covid-19 during these past months.  

Does The Virus Only Affect People Living In “Hot Spot” Areas such As China? 

Unfortunately, we all now know that this is a big, fat, and loud “NO!”Although borders are closed and there are travel restrictions in place to and from hotspots, the virus has left a huge mark on the United States. In fact, as of August 22, 2020, the United States has the largest number of reported cases at 5,796,727 and the highest number of deaths at 179,200. However, the United States isn’t the only country with high volumes. At the moment Brazil is reporting  3,536,488 cases and India has 2,979,562 infected individuals. Sadly, palliative care facilities in Los Angeles points out that China has not provided an accurate number of confirmed cases. 

Is The Virus And The Flu The Same?

No, not at all. Although they are both viruses, are contagious, and can even lead to death in people with underlying medical conditions, but that is where kinships stop. They are two very different illnesses.  

Also, Covid-19 is a virus that is extremely contagious and affects the respiratory system in a much more intense and lethal way compared to the flu. Many health professionals at the centers for palliative care in Los Angeles are still trying to find out whether or not the virus can be contracted a second time and if it can reoccur seasonally. 

How Does The Virus Spread? 

Although the original source of Covid-19 was from animals, the virus is now spreading from person to person. Therefore, we are currently dealing with a human to human transmission. Sadly, there isn’t enough information at the moment to determine how easily the virus spreads between people. However, current estimates claim that on average one infected person can infect between two and three people. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that the virus is transmitted through small respiratory droplets through sneezing, coughing, or when people interact with each other for some time in close proximity (usually less than one meter).

These droplets are inhaled, or they land on surfaces that others may come into contact with, who then get infected when they touch their nose, mouth, or eyes. The virus is capable of surviving on various surfaces for several hours, such as with copper and copper. Or a few days as is the case with plastic and stainless steel. Although, the amount of feasible virus lowers over time and may not always be present in enough numbers to cause infection. 

The time between exposure to the virus and onset of symptoms, which is also referred to as the incubation period is estimated at 1 to 14 days. 

As mentioned before, the virus can be transmitted when infected people show symptoms such as coughing. Also, there is evidence that shows that transmission can happen from a person who is infected even two days before showing any symptoms. However, there are some doubts about the effect of transmission by asymptomatic individuals. 

Are There Any Effective Treatments For Covid-19? 

This is a very hot topic. There are medications and treatments that have been effective in treating the virus. For instance, Remdesivir has been proven to be effective. Other drugs, such as hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine (both malaria drugs), have been proven to be ineffective in some studies and effective in others when used in conjunction with other drugs. 

Nevertheless, just like a lot of things about Covid-19, we honestly don’t know and the information is based on who conducted the studies, which are at the best of times, very conflicting as well as frustrating. It seems that the effectiveness of these drugs is very different as the symptoms experienced. At this current moment, the medical community does not know what is the best way of treating Covid-19. 

Are Covid-19 Symptoms All-Inclusive?

In the beginning, many in the medical community thought the major give away symptoms to confirm a person has Covid-19 was a fever higher than 100.4°F, cough, and shortness of breath. However, another thing we learned from Covid-19 is that there are many other symptoms that are normally observed. These include the following: 

• Loss of sense of smell and taste
• Body aches
• Sore throat
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Chills
• Headache

If everybody who is infected with Covid-19 presented the same symptoms, it would be easier to contain. However, now we know that an individual can be completely asymptomatic and still test positive for the virus.  

Does Covid-19 Only Affect People Physically? 

Many of us are experiencing how the pandemic has a far-reaching impact on us emotionally as well as financially, and this will probably affect us for many years to come. For many of us, our lives have gone upside down in many ways, from job loss, social isolation, and fear. The employment rate is as low as it was during the Great Depression. Because of job loss, homelessness is expected to rise too. Basically, this is just evidence of a much larger problem that is ahead of all of us.