 UPDATED 4/7/20 - (Note: NEW! Notations will be cleared every Monday.)
People with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (#pwME) are experienced at dealing with a dysfunctional immune system, which includes social distancing and avoiding viral infections. We could teach the world a thing or two about how it's done ... if only they'd listen. We will try to update this blog as additional information comes to light. DIVERSIONS, HUMOR, AND ME WRITINGS Before we start, HERE is a pdf with Diversions, Humor, and ME Writings. The link/document for Things-To-Do has been moved into this pdf. If you have additional suggestions, please send them to David.Steckel@ME-International.org. SIGNS & SYMPTOMS Typical signs and symptoms for Coronavirus include (from the WHO):
CONTAMINATION Virus can live on objects for various periods of time. How to clean these surfaces can be found in THIS BBC ARTICLE (3/17/20). An article from the Journal of Hospital Infection titled "Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents" has a pretty comprehensive table of different surfaces and times. (March 2020)
GETTING TESTED The current parameters for getting a COVID-19 test often include fever. As ME includes a dysfunctional immune system, many pwME have a lower than normal base temperature and may not exhibit a fever when ill. Doctors may be more willing to recognize a fever if there is a baseline record of lower than average temperature. The following information may be helpful to share with medical professionals if testing is denied due to lack of fever. Patients may want to have a copy of the following on hand: 1. The IC Primer can help doctors understand the unique biological abnormalities of ME.
2. Dr. Weir and Dr. Speight of the 25% M.E. Group put out notification (download) regarding severe ME patients and Coronavirus. "PWME should be aware of the fact that they sometimes do not develop a fever when they acquire a virus infection." 3. Emergency Room Info for People with ME - This document contains information compiled from patient input and expert documents to assist patients and caregivers in communicating with medical professionals. More info on lack of fever:
SANITIZING Use bleach or 70%+ alcohol to kill virus on surfaces. A recipe for a 1:10 bleach spray solution is provided by VeryWellHealth.com as: "1 part bleach for every 9 parts water. A good amount to start with is 1/4 cup bleach and 2¼ cups of water. Carefully pour the bleach into the spray bottle or jar first, then add the water. Mixing the solution in this order will prevent the bleach from splashing up on you." (1/5/20) NOTE: It may be safer to add bleach to the water, even though bleach is basic and not acidic. (Thank you M.R.) Recipes for hand sanitizers can be found on the web. Ingredients may include isopropol or rubbing alcohol (or very high proof drinking alcohol like Everclear), aloe vera gel or xanthan gum for thickening, and essential oils or lemon juice for fragrance. Be sure to follow the recipe closely, as too little [alcohol] can make it ineffective and too much can dry out your hands. Best advice is to WASH YOUR HANDS and AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE. These Common Household Products Can Destroy the Novel Virus by Consumer Reports shows you how to use them and which products to stay away from. (03/17/20) WHAT YOU CAN DO For personalized management and treatment information for ME, see the ME IC Primer starting on pg#13. Consider using acetaminophen (TYLENOL®) / paracetamol (EU) instead of ibuprofen. Read THIS from MastCellDisease.com. "Ian Jones, a professor of virology at the University of Reading, said that ibuprofen’s anti-inflammatory properties could “dampen down” the immune system, which could slow the recovery process." NEW! HERE's a breathing exercise to enhance ventilation of the lungs in case of sickness or to prepare beforehand. Short summary: 5× breathe in deeply, hold, breathe out, then 1 strong cough Repeat this cycle 2× , then breathe for 10 minutes laying on stomach/pillow to free up most of the lungs. Review this 25% M.E. Group's notification (as a download from https://25megroup.org/download/1796/?v=3236) for guidance
Dr. Nancy Klimas talks about Coronavirus & ME/CFS (14:02 - 03/13/20)
Dr. Sarah Myhill advises on Treating Viral Infections (5:21 - 03/12/20)
See dosage info HERE and HERE. PRACTICAL LINKS:
CARERS: Care Alliance Ireland - Creating a Backup Plan: Covid-19 and Family Carers PUBLIC SUPPORT / MUTUAL AID GROUPS: Collective Care Is Our Best Best Weapon Against COVID-19 - This is a "...growing list of mutual aid pandemic disaster care, in alphabetical order ..." compiled by Cindy Milstein for the US, Canada, Britain and Germany that is said to be updated daily as additional info is collected. UK - FreedomNews.org - A long list of mutual aid groups throughout the country. "We have done our best to include all already existing mutual aid groups below. If your group is not listed, or you set one up after this text’s publication, please get in touch and we will fix it. You can reach us either via our Facebook page, or send an email to editor@freedompress.org.uk. U.S. - Seattle, WA - Office of the Mayor U.S. - Nextdoor - Nextdoor is an app to connect neighbors. "Every neighbor must verify their address in the neighborhood. Every neighbor must use their real name. Nextdoor is securely encrypted using the HTTPS Internet protocol." The North Carolina Dept. of HHS has established a website and a COVID-19 hotline. Check to see if your state has done the same. Your county may also be providing this service. The National Governors Association has "Current Information On The Status Of COVID-19 In The United States And Abroad, What Actions States/Territories Have Taken To Address It, And The Latest Efforts By The Federal Government" HERE. OTHER INFORMATION:
During this time, your PC may also be under attack - more than normal. We will be adding to a link-list in THIS DOCUMENT to give you ways in which to help protect your IT world. These lessons are good to learn even after the current onslaught of hackers, etc. is diminished. NEW! Covid-19 Stats: Worldwide and by Country by WorldoMeter (updated daily) Comments are closed.
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AuthorME International - The purpose of ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) International is to support ME organizations, educate the general public, medical providers, and governments throughout the world about ME, and support ME patients, caregivers, advocates, and family and friends. ArchivesCategories |
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