You are safe if you stay at home.  The daily death toll, as expected, is increasing.  Only venture out for emergency issues and you are prepared to take the proper precautions.  I favor wearing a face mask to keep you from touching your face.

 Click this to review how to COVID-19 proof your home.

Our atomic weapon:  stay home!

The numbers:

This model currently predicts that the peak of hospital resource use in Maryland will be April 29.  Notice how this is constantly changing as the data gets updated.  In NYC, this peak is predicted to be on April 9.

A few words about panic and fear:

These two words are descriptions of emotions that are powerful and they invoke physiologic changes that do not help us.  Negative emotions cause thoughts that can be scary.  But they are just thoughts - they are not real.  Real is this moment.  Be in the moment and plan for the future, learn from the past.  How we think is how we feel.  Want to feel bad?  Then believe your negative thoughts.  Want to feel good?  Stay in the moment, be in the moment.  Have a plan.

Negative thoughts cause elevations of our heart rate, respiratory rate, cortisol levels, adrenaline levels, and therefore lower our immune system readiness.  We cannot ignore danger, but we need to see it, acknowledge it, and have a plan.  This dissipates fear and panic and makes us reconsider or adjust our plans.  The plan may change based on the information coming in moment to moment.  But we have a plan and it is going to work.  What's the plan?  Stay home to be safe.  We will get through this.

This morning, watching the news, the financial reporter did us a disservice.  The reporter talked about the enormous claims for unemployment, the worst ever, maybe worse than the great depression.  How does that make you feel?  Panicked and fearful?  My thought is that this type of reporting invokes panic and is unnecessary.  What do I think the reporter should say?  How about "as expected, unemployment claims are very high but our Care Act Plan, a 2 trillion dollar relief package, will remedy this and if we need further relief, our government has a phase 4 package plan that can be deployed."  We are ready and prepared.

The big message is do not be fearful, do not panic.  Have a plan.  I always have a plan.  Identify the problem, then I work the problem.  Watch this 30 second clip from Martian.

In Maryland, we have plans.  The plans change moment to moment, depending on the information coming from the field.  We are doing as best as we can.  Do your part and stick to the plan.  If the information changes, we will flex to the new plan.

Therapeutics:

• We are still waiting for more information in debunking the claim that NSAID use worsens COVID-19, stayed tuned for definitive guidance.
• A $50M grant was awarded to Duke University to study the use of Hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic drug for front line health care providers to decrease their susceptibility to COVID-19.
• Keep passing the word on about the use of passive transfer of convalescent plasma - click here. 

Today's music:   "Stayin inside"  

 

On a lighter note: (thanks again JF)