Avoiding COVID-19 when following the guidelines seems impossible

By now, we all know the drill: Maintain physical distance. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Avoid people who are sick and stay away from others if you are sick. While these measures may seem simple enough, they are not easy to keep up month after month. Yet they are likely to be with us for a while. But what about those who cannot comply? Certain conditions can make the standard measures to stay safe during the pandemic seem impossible. At the same time, some of those likely to have the most trouble following the guidelines — such as older people with dementia — are at higher risk for illness and death if they do become ill. And the risk for spreading infection to others by not wearing face coverings, washing hands regularly, and observing physical distancing remains very real. Mitigation efforts are harder for some than others People who may have the most trouble complying with pandemic-related restrictions include those with Dementia. Without constant supervision and reminders, people with cognitive problems may take off their masks or wear them incorrectly, and fail to maintain distance from others. Breathing problems. Although for healthy people there is no evidence that commonly worn cloth masks lower your oxygen levels or raise your carbon dioxide levels, those who have lung disease (such as asthma, emphysema, or cystic fibrosis) may find it particularly uncomfortable trying to breathe through a mask. Claustrophobia. Wearing a mask may make people with claustrophobia ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety and Depression Asthma Caregiving Coronavirus and COVID-19 Source Type: blogs