Living with a chronic condition is taxing in its own right, but the threat and spread of COVID-19 is something. With which you must familiarize yourself. Your life could depend on it.
Public health officials have and continue to sound alarms that people of any age with chronic conditions, especially older adults. Are much more likely to contract devastating symptoms of COVID-19. The reason for that is twofold. Chronic conditions or the medications used to manage them may cause immunosuppression. These conditions create a gradual deterioration of the immune system. Couple that with the decline that occurs as part of the natural aging process.
People with chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, lupus, and many other states are in extreme danger of becoming. Gravely ill if they contract coronavirus.
Scientists and researchers believe these people have an elevated risk because, in people who don’t have comorbidities, their bodies know how to react to combat infection. Still, in those who suffer from other disease processes, their bodies may not respond similarly and may trigger a response that makes their body attack itself. Add those results to a disease that causes widespread damage, and you have a recipe for disaster.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
Experts ask that people with chronic conditions do their best to keep their condition under control and pay close attention to anomalies, flare-ups, or anything out of order. Stay in contact with your physician. Let them know immediately if you experience an unexplained fever, trouble breathing, coughing, chest pain. Also, speak to your doctor about having an ample supply of medications and nonmedical personal protective equipment. Limit trips outside in public. Opt for grocery and pharmacy delivery if it’s possible. If you do have to leave home, wear gloves and a face mask to protect yourself. Maintain the requested social distancing guidelines and clean your hands frequently with antibacterial soap for at least 20 seconds.
By Ava Mallory
AVA MALLORY
AVA MALLORY is the contributor writer for Healthy Magazine, with years of experience writing about many aspects of health. She can't imagine a field more relevant to every living person.