More on “Cattening the Curve”
VIDEO: Empowering and Protecting Your Family During the COVID19 Pandemic by Dr. David Price
UPDATE: The latest recommendation is that everyone should wear a face mask when they go out. This can prevent people without symptoms from spreading COVID19. Here is a way to make your own mask without sewing. Brilliant!

A COVID-19 Coronavirus Update From Concerned Physicians – KevinMD.com, March 14, 2020:

“Everything we do before a pandemic will seem alarmist. Everything we do after will seem inadequate.” – Michael Leavitt

Why are we writing this?

The COVID-19 pandemic has reached a point where containment is no longer possible. The COVID-19 threat is real, and rapidly getting worse. Many of you are very nervous; some are unsure of the validity of the information you are reading. As physician leaders, we felt it was important to craft a resource you can rely on as being scientifically accurate and one which contains as much actionable information and guidance as possible.

Accurate, actionable information during an epidemic can save lives. Physicians are on the front line of this epidemic. Not only are we treating the sick, but we are also cringing at the misinformation spread through both traditional broadcast and social media. Evidence matters. Unfortunately, evidence is often slow, methodical, and boring and has a tough time against clicky headlines and exaggeration. We believe that an accurate representation of the current COVID-19 pandemic followed by a set of actionable steps you, your loved ones, politicians, and local officials can utilize is of paramount importance and ultimately could save tens of thousands of lives.

COVID-19 isn’t just the flu?

COVID-19 has been described by some as “just a cold,” or just like the common flu. COVID-19 is not a common flu. COVID-19 is an order of magnitude worse than the flu. The fatality rate is approximately ten times worse than the flu.

The flu spreads from September through April in the U.S., and June through August in the Southern Hemisphere. Yes, it does cause severe illness in many, but it does so over a longer time course. Time is a variable that is working against us during this COVID-19 outbreak. COVID-19 victims will be presenting to a hospital in need of critical care at a rate that is far higher than occurs with the flu.

In addition, these patients will require hospital treatment over the course of a few weeks rather than the 3-4 months of a typical flu season. The health care system in the USA is not ready to handle tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people over a short time frame. In Italy, the health care system buckled under the strain, and the health care teams are now forced to make horrible life and death decisions.

Read the full article on KevinMD.com

Baltimore City Health Department shares creative ads to encourage people to practice social distance

As more people are diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in Maryland, the city of Baltimore is taking a creative approach in encouraging residents to practice social distance. As of this report, 20 more people in the state have tested positive with COVID-19, a 54% increase and the largest one-day spike in confirmed cases, The Baltimore Sun reported. At least 57 people have a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis, according to state spokesman Mike Ricci, and the first confirmed case in Baltimore was announced last week.

Since then, Baltimore city health commissioner Letitia Dzirasa has advised residents to practice social distancing, including staying six feet apart from those around them. The department has created infographics to remind residents of this. “Social distancing during a pandemic saves lives,” some of the fliers read.The infographics are being widely shared on social media with the hashtag #StayHomeHeroes and aim to not only spread awareness of what the virus is, but how to practice social distancing for safety.

Read the full article on Baltimore City Health Department Infographics or view the Infographics here