With or without CORONA, Spring Break is here and students everywhere are gearing up for a week-long party. In addition to focusing on hand washing (you know the drill- wash early and often, scrubbing for a full 20 seconds with soap and water or sanitizer), be aware that alcohol-related injuries are currently far more deadly than COVID-19. Over 1500 college students die each year from alcohol poisoning, motor vehicle accidents and other alcohol-related injuries, and not surprisingly, we see a spike in these fatalities during spring break at popular destinations. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of alcohol-fueled physical … Read more
Corona Virus
What Your College Student Needs to Know About Corona Virus
On planes, trains and buses; in grocery stores and malls; and most definitely walking across universities, surgical masks appear to be the latest fashion accessory. Mind you, few people are wearing them correctly…but I digress. People are understandably worried about this new Corona Virus, for which we have marginal understanding, no vaccine, little effective treatment and no cure.
First things first, though, let’s start with the name.
On Feb 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially changed the name from Corona Virus to COVID-19, which is simply an abbreviation of “CO”rona “VI”rus “D”disease, which started in 20“19”. … Read more
Can’t Get Rid of that COUGH?
Okay, so you don’t think you have Corona Virus (now known as COVID-19), but why can’t you get rid of that cough? Perhaps you had the flu (or a flu-like illness) a couple weeks ago, complete with fever, chills, headache and body aches. The hit-by-a-Mack-truck symptoms have gone away, but the cough is driving you (and your spouse/roommate/classmates) crazy. Unfortunately, post-infectious coughs commonly persist up to SIX weeks after the initial illness, and this year’s influenza seems to be setting records.
Allergies certainly can cause coughs as well, but typically allergic coughs are more the dry, annoying, clear-your-throat variety, rather … Read more
FLU Symptoms? Worried about Corona? Here’s What You Need to Know
SHOULD I BE TESTED FOR CORONA VIRUS? Typical person living, studying or working in the USA? Probably not. But YES, you should be sent for testing* IF you have ALL three things:
- Fever
- Respiratory Symptoms (like Cough/Shortness of Breath)
- Travel in Wuhan City, China (expanded 1/31/20 to include anywhere inside the Hubei Province and anywhere in mainland China if you are ill enough to be hospitalized) within the last 14 days before your symptoms started OR close contact with someone confirmed or suspected of having Corona Virus.
Also, as of 1/31/20, if you have a cough even WITHOUT fever … Read more