It’s been a long 30 days and we know it’s been hard for everyone. With one month of Governor Doug Ducey’s Stay at Home Order complete, we thought it would be wise to provide an update to you all about COVID-19 and remind you of the importance of protecting yourself.
As of April 22, there were a total of 5,459 cases of COVID-19 in Arizona, with 229 deaths related to the virus. Maricopa County leads the state, with 2,846 known cases and 97 deaths. To compare, the entire country of the United States had just over 10,000 cases as of mid-March.
The U.S., including the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S Virgin Island, has an estimated 802,583 known cases and 44,575 deaths related to the virus as of April 21. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the total cases includes 3,981 probable cases and total deaths includes 5,862 probable deaths.
Facts About COVID-19
The coronavirus is not a new disease. The original strain is very common and is killed by most disinfectants. It usually causes mild respiratory distress. So why is COVID-19 any different? That’s because COVID-19 is a completely new strain of the virus. When it was first discovered, it had already infected a large number of people in China in a short amount of time. There was no research on it and no vaccine available, which is why the impact was so immediate.
But what exactly is COVID-19? The disease is a severe acute respiratory syndrome; meaning it is an illness that impacts your respiratory system, and it has the potential to be severe. Not all causes are severe and most with the disease recover from it fully. It comes with fever-like symptoms, including shortness of breath, and symptoms tend to appear between 2-14 days of exposure.
Bonus fact: dogs can catch COVID-19, but it doesn’t affect them! Cats are not immune to it either, but they tend to develop mild respiratory distress.
It is extremely rare for humans to pass on the infection to their pets, so don’t panic! There have only been a handful of cats that have tested positive for the virus in the entire world — all of which have been exposed to the virus by their owners. And it is impossible for your pet to pass it on to another human, though animal to animal transmission is still being researched.
To protect yourself, the CDC recommends you do the following:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not readily available
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- Stay home if you’re not feeling well
- Practice social distancing if you do need to leave the house by staying at least 6 feet away from others at all times
- Avoid highly trafficked public areas
- Wear a face mask to reduce your risk of infection
Why Social Distance and Stay at Home?
COVID-19 is a fickle virus — you will not know if you get the disease immediately. It can take up to 2 weeks for symptoms to first show themselves! Even if you don’t have symptoms, you are highly contagious if you do have COVID-19. Any human interaction runs the risk of passing it on to someone else and they can pass it to others too, thus creating an exponential infection curve.
Staying at Home, even if you’re healthy, helps negate the risk of spread. Your risk of coming into contact with anyone who has the disease is drastically reduced (though not zero if you regularly get deliveries or order in food). The biggest part of Stay at Home is that you won’t unknowingly contribute to the spread of COVID-19.
Stay at Home orders are preventative actions. It’s not only to protect you, but it’s to protect your family, friends, their families, your neighbors — everyone you may come in contact with. We at IV Revival know how hard it is to be separated from your loved ones, but until a vaccine and a cure are found, this is the best way to shield everyone from the infection, which has proven to be fatal in some cases.
How IV Revival is Protecting You
At IV Revival, we’re all about optimizing your health, whether that’s picking you up after a bout of food poisoning, or boosting your immune system. We are still offering at-home visits. Our registered nurses are trained on sterilization and preventative measures. We also have new guidelines in place to protect our staff and you.
COVID-19 screening questions MUST be answered before booking an appointment
If you’re interested in protecting your health or optimizing your wellness, or if you have questions on how we are working to keep you safe, please contact us today!