Tag: #COVID-19

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7 Reasons To Donate Blood

This blog post is about the importance of blood donation and its' role in saving lives.

According to the American Red Cross, 36,000 units of Red blood cells are needed every day in the US alone.

7,000 units of plasma and 21,000,000 components of blood are used each year in our country alone.

The blood type most often requested is Type O, but anyone who can should donate and various others blood components are processed and used, not just whole blood.

COVID-19 Critical blood Shortage

Critical Blood Shortage -: 

  • Children’s cancers of the blood.
  • Emergency childbirth.
  • Open heart surgeries
  • Car accidents, traumas.
  • Acts of violence etc.
  • Organ transplant surgeries.
  • Sickle Cell Disease.

How to Prepare To Donate Blood

Beginning the day before donation;

  • Drink plenty of water and wholesome liquids. No alcohol.
  • Limit your caffeine intake.
  • Eat a well-balanced meal 1 – 2 hours before donation.
  • Get plenty rest.

In the event that you donate plasma, please ensure that you are not taking aspirin or aspirin-containing products up to 48 hrs before you donate.

It is imperative that you consult with your medical provider before starting or stopping any medications.

Persons May Be Excluded If

  • They are pregnant
  • Have hepatitis
  • Cancer
  • Leukemia
  • Heart disease
  • Received blood in last 12 months
  • Active infections, etc.

The need for life giving blood and blood components does not discriminate…

You can find a center to Donate by:

The process can take as little as 10 minutes to collect 1 pint of whole blood.

Donate Blood. Save a Life!

This is a crucial event. We are in a state of crisis!

Bring a photo ID with you.

Donate today!

Thank you. Peace, health and blessings.

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Update on How I am Doing

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I took this picture while at work last Saturday the day I realized I had COVID – looks are deceiving. 

Thank you All for your Prayers and Well Wishes!!!

My friends, I remain in quarantine and I can say that truly God is a good God. Even though I was well aware that I could become infected with COVID, due to the nature of the path I chose,  I thought I was taking all the precautions I could.

I work with two other ladies most frequently and they are both in their sixties and both are cancer survivors. As such whenever we have had to swab and care for a patient “under interest” I have been the one more in contact with the patients as I know these women would be more at risk than myself.

I am not a hero just a human. I have grown to love these women.

Since I have been unwell I have been speaking with both these ladies as they are experiencing symptoms as well. The one lady that I worked my last two shifts with is really feeling poorly even though her COVID test came back negative. She has been having more severe symptoms than myself. She is also in quarantine.

Each day I arise and thank God for Jesus! Yes I am happy. Psalms 23 – Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil….!!!! AMEN.

God is a good God and we shall all make it to the other side, my co-workers and I. I sleep with some healing scriptures playing on my nightstand as I want the healing promises to soak into my spirit even in repose.  (I always do this when I seek God out, I let his word settle in my soul. I will make a post about it one day).

How I feel:

  • Weakness (getting better each day)
  • Shortness of breath with exertion (it is resolving)
  • Headache — my worst symptom (it just hangs around)
  • Inability to concentrate for long periods
  • A heaviness in my head (feeling it as I type this now)
  • Sleeping a lot (the body needs rest to heal)

I never recorded a fever or a cough. 

What I am using for my immune system:

  • Zinc – 15mg
  • Vitamin D -5,000 IU
  • Vitamin C – 1000mg
  • Tumeric, aloe vera, garlic, ginger and celery blended drink (I just chug it down, can’t taste anyway)
  • Rest – as the body dictates
  • Exercise – I keep it moving, even if I just walk around the backyard in the sun.

Some of what breaks my heart:

  1. My boss has the nerve to ask me, “where do you think you got COVID from?” (we have been screening patients prior to surgery, screening and seeing the general public, the doctors see pre-surgery patients as well all day, some of which have been COVID positive and we mingle and share space with those doctors all day!). Is she for real.
  2. We were never given the appropriate protective gear. We wear surgical masks, can you imagine! Surgical masks do not protect from COVID, especially not in a healthcare setting where we are likely to come into direct contact with the virus.
  3. I could have potentially infected my family and my mother is an elderly woman. But I praise and thank GOD!!!!
  4. I cannot hug and comfort my children. My little snookums who I had been sleeping with since his dad left for NY is my constant companion. I have exposed him more so than anyone else. Him being my baby, I tickle and play and kiss him up all the time, and I was already infected and shedding COVID all over my child.
  5. Being unable to be and play with him, now I have to see him in passing and go outside to talk to him for a bit. He always has new engineering wonders to show me and now I cannot interact with him.
  6. On top of me being ill his dad is still in NY, so he does not have a real parent right now. Gee wanted to come home, I said no. We had always decided only one of us would take a risk at any given time.
  7. My daughter is petrified to come down to the bottom floor where I am in my own space.
  8. I am fed by them placing my meals outside my door. That is a hoot…being fed, I find humor in it.

On the road to recovery:

My Gee is always on the phone with me and a source of support and knowledge. My mother and my children are here and my friends are all helping to keep me together. I go outdoors often to look at the plants and I have been watching NETFLIX – oftentimes I fall asleep during a show.

I do love to watch movies and shows in other languages, especially French as I think it activates new neurons to hear and follow the plot while reading subtitles and trying to stay on top of the many nuances. My future guarantee against Alzheimer’s.

So I am coping pretty well.

I trust in my God and in that knowledge, I rest knowing this too shall pass.

Stay blessed and stay well.

 

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COVID-19 Rises Again!

Photo by Ashkan Forouzani on UnsplashEnter a caption

Are the up-rise in numbers due to early re-openings?

Many still show up to the hospitals to be treated with no mask on, what this tells me is that they may be out and about within the community without a mask as well. This is scary!

So the state of Texas was one of the first ones to reopen. When the idea was first proposed we, the healthcare workers along with many others thought what a bad idea that was. While we understood the economic reasons, we realized that more than likely we would see a rise in the number of cases.

Photo by Enrique Macias on Unsplash

What are we to glean from the current steady rise in the states that reopened early? It seems that the curve is not flattening as hoped but is on the upward climb.I attribute this as a direct result to non-compliance, more persons out and about. The protesting and rally’s without masks will not help matters any. It remains a game of wait and see, but for now officials are mostly skirting the issue and we are left to make our own conclusions…

UPDATE 06/25/2020!

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Social Distancing Reaches New Heights!

Rosemary Arends, right, a nurse and flight attendant for South African Airways, checking the temperature of a passenger before a charter flight from Miami International Airport.
Image credit: The New York Times

Last month I wrote a post posing the question, “are we losing our freedoms?“. At the time It was just based on my own imaginings and thought processes. But a few of those things are fast becoming a reality. Yesterday I saw an article that a few many major airlines are taking a stance against the spread of COVID-19. It will not be long before others follow suit.

Requiring masks

Airlines require masks for ALL employees and travellers. Temperature checks are also a requirement. Persons are encouraged to check in using the kiosks, phones, computers and any and all electronic tools in line with continuing with the policies of social distancing.

According to Airlines for America , all passengers are required to wear a face mask throughout the journey.

Delta and United are issuing warnings that for the “rogue” crown who either do not want to wear facemasks or wears them only to ditch them once aboard the flight. These rogue passengers may be removed from the flight if possible or risk being placed on their “restricted” travel list. These rules take effect June 18th.

Airplanes are fitted with hepa filters, similar to the ones used in the healthcare facilities and these filter and destroy microbes to the tune of 99.97%. So there is some protection, but that should not give the rogue crowd carte blanche to sit next to anyone without a mask as we will be surely sharing microbes.

Temperature checks

Airlines are in favor of doing temperature checks and Frontier and Air Canada are already leading the way. Travellers will have to submit themselves to having their temperatures checked and will not be permitted to board if your temperature is above 100.4° at first check, you will be given some time to rest. Then a second check will be done. If it again records at 100.4° you will not be permitted to travel that day.

This will not be done by touch but will use infrared and thermal thermometers (see above pic.), in upkeeping the social distance standards.

On Frontier you are required to complete a health acknowledgement form stating that neither yourself or any known members of your immediate circle has had symptoms of COVID-19 within the recent 14-days and this form is required prior to check-in. You will also acknowledge and agree to their new policies with regards to use of masks and your submission for temperature checks.

Requesting a bathroom break — reminiscent of school days.

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Photo by Konstantin Mishchenko on Pexels.com

The pièce de résistance – on Ryanair you have to make a request to use the bathrooms!!! They are trying to prevent lines forming while you wait to use the lavatory (I can see how this makes some sense, but the public may not like it). It also prevents persons standing next to you and breathing all over you while waiting on line.

Planes will be boarded from the back to the front and currently not by “class” as was typically done. The center seats are currently unoccupied and this is in keeping with the CDC’s guidelines.

While I do see that we are losing some autonomy, I submit to the policies freely at this time as the needs of the many should always outweigh the needs of the few. We must submit to these policies so that we can keep COVID-19 at bay as much as possible and a hope to return to normalcy as soon as possible.

We must remain cognizant of the sacrifices of frontliners and their families in the fight against this evil and do ALL must do our part to horor their bravery and sacrifice.

The Department of Transportation is leaving the planning up to the airlines but will support their policies.

References:

God bless us. Amen!

 

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Vitamin D & Immunity

 

Day of Worship Church Flyer (11)
Many sources of vitamin D

Vitamin D has in recent times come under greater scrutiny for its role in immunity.    And it appears that the role has even greater connotations that previously thought. According to peer-reviewed published articles of US NAtional Library of Medicine, without vitamin D we are at an increased risk of developing a host of infections when serum levels are not at par.

All vitamins play a huge part in helping us maintain homeostasis and subsequent health. Their specific roles are in a constant state of evolution and more and more research is being done and a plethora of new information comes to light.

In the age of “the virus” and many other bugs that seeks to injure us, our immune system is called upon to soldier up and defend its home. Information is constantly being passed down through various sources referencing the use of vitamins, more recently, vitamins C, D and zinc.

We know from past teachings that these vitamins play a pivotal role in boosting our immune systems and indeed this information is more crucial in the times we currently find ourselves in.

VItamin D

Vitamin D is mainly obtained from our diet and or formed in our skin. This process is influenced by many factors, the presence or exposure to sunlight, our skin tone and the melanin contained therein.

Both the liver and the kidneys play an important and active role in converting inactive vitamin D to active vitamin D allowing it to be available for cellular uptake and use.

Per the US Library of Medicine, “There is in vitro evidence that vitamin D is involved in immune cell responses to some viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens.”

Image from https://www.cebm.net/ and shows the pathway from source to availability for use.

Bioavailability

There is evidence according to cebm, that respiratory epithelial cells can convert inactive vitamin D to its active form.   And that the metabolites created as a byproduct of its metabolism is directly involved in the immunity response to respiratory viruses.

Deficiency

  • Children younger than four years old.
  • Women, especially young, pregnant and breastfeeding.
  • Older adults greater than 65 yrs of age
  • Little exposure to sunlight
  • Darker skin tones
  • Inability to consume dairy and other vit. D fortified foods

Vitamin D rich foods

Table copied from: https://www.cebm.net/ 

For additional food sources for vitamin D click here.

Daily recommended dose

Life Stage Recommended Amount
Birth to 12 months 10 mcg (400 IU)
Children 1–13 years 15 mcg (600 IU)
Teens 14–18 years 15 mcg (600 IU)
Adults 19–70 years 15 mcg (600 IU)
Adults 71 years and older 20 mcg (800 IU)
Pregnant and breastfeeding women 15 mcg (600 IU)

Table above copied from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-Consumer/#

Conclusion:

Our immune systems are tasked with a most important job of defending us from invaders both foreign and domestic. It promotes immunity and under normal circumstances it does not do harm to itself (https://www.cebm.net/).

Historically vitamin D has been renowned for its function in calcium uptake and bone health. Vitamin D does this by increasing the absorption of calcium from our diet via our small intestines. It stimulates osteoclast activity (osteoclasts are cells within the bones responsible for bone resorption).

The Centers for Evidence Based Medicine (CEBM), states that evidence of low vitamin D serum levels are with higher occurrences of acute respiratory infection rates.

Healthline states that a deficiency in vitamin D is linked to poor lung function. This would certainly play a role in your ability to be susceptible to and your recovery from opportunistic infections.

We need those lungs healthy and able to work efficiently.

There it is prudent to conscientiously take your vitamins, get enough sunlight, nutritious diet, rest and exercise and be as healthy as you can be.

Remember you may also take vitamin D as an oral supplement.

References:

God bless you, be well.

 

 

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Are We Losing Our Freedom?

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Our Post-Pandemic Normal

Are you feeling like you are losing control? Losing control of your life, your health, your ability to make your own decisions, of your family’s freedoms?

The new decade of 2020 roared in existence filled with promise. I, like everyone else waited with bated breath for its arrival. So arrive it did, greeted with much applause and with it came H-A-D-E-S! And per biblical warnings it has brought the equivalence of seven (7) more demons with it.

Somewhere around early January we began to hear surreptitious whispers of this new virus aka Coronavirus aka COVID-19. This mysterious killer supposedly originated in Wuhan China. This intelligent killer that supposedly crossed species from bats to humans. Here in the US, and I would venture to say, like much of the rest of the world we thought that it would not touch us. That we had nothing to worry about.

Well we were wrong!

Our leaders took their own sweet time closing the borders and when they finally did, the proverbial horse had already escaped the stables. Or did it? Had the theoretical horse already been placed outside the gates? Surfacing evidence suggests the latter may be true.

There are so many conflicting theories on the origins of this new killer that it leaves your head spinning with the what-ifs. Whatever the method / means / purpose of this Revelation-sized monster, one thing is certain, it has been let loose upon the earth. Presently a few truths have been glaringly obvious.

We are no longer free!

Image shows a locked door to depict the loss of freedom.
Photo by Nicholas Githiri on Pexels.com

Here are some of what we have lost thus far:

  • We have lost the ability to make our own choices.
  • We have little, none or have completely lost confidence in our leaders.
  • We have lost our livelihoods.
  • We have lost the abilities to make our own decisions and to feed our children
  • We will have little recourse than to follow the rule of the government/masses and that is; to social distance, wear a mask, stay away from each other, etc.
  • We have lost the right to “needed” healthcare.
  • Our kids will not live in a free society.
  • Many of us have lost relatives.
  • We are losing our lives as well.

For our future interactions:

  • We may all be required to wear a mask and possibly gloves for the foreseeable future.
  • To travel / fly / interact we may be required to present a negative COVID-19 test or present our person with ample time to be able to be swabbed and/or checked for a fever before being able to board or transact business.
  • We will be required to have a mask/gloves on while travelling.
  • We may even be required to submit for blood tests and nasal swabs to check for antibodies before we are allowed to work, play, eat, shop, play and even live.
  • We will be in food shortage crisis and hunger will be prevalent (food prices are already increasing more rapidly than they had since 1974).
  • We/our children will required (made) to take the vaccine before we are allowed to  be schooled or exist in society.
  • Anti-vaxxers will wage but lose the war.
  • School kids will do longer be free to play and go about as they see fit.
  • Sports may be played but for empty stadiums.
  • Vigilante justice will become the rampant, neighbors will be pitted against each other out of absolute fear and/or hate.

America, a country that values its freedoms above all else, anxiously watches as those freedoms are stripped away from her. Our world as we know it is most likely gone. Our new normal will be vastly different than the one we knew.

Our leaders have become the puppet masters and we are uncertain what or who to believe and of what to do. We may be asked to provide proof of health reminiscent of past wars, (better have your papers on you at all times).

I remain perplexed on Bill Gates’ role as an active proponent for vaccinations and for all things health-care? Does he have a medical degree? Did I miss something there?

What are your thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

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All, especially Black People Please Read & Share, YOUR life may depend on it!

I did some research as I wanted to be able to share with you this Doctor’s credentials. Dr. A. Oussama Rifai is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in the specialty of Internal Medicine and the sub specialty of Nephrology. Dr. A. Oussama Rifai is also a designated Specialist in Clinical Hypertension by the American Society of Hypertension.

Click the link for more information; https://thevirtualnephrologist.com/

My Gee an ER nurse as well if fighting COVID-19 in New York on the frontline….tips on what they are using for ALL: Get your daily Vitamin C  and Zinc ………. see tables below.

How much vitamin C do I need?

The amount of vitamin C you need each day depends on your age. Average daily recommended amounts for different ages are listed below in milligrams (mg).

Life Stage Recommended Amount
Birth to 6 months 40 mg
Infants 7–12 months 50 mg
Children 1–3 years 15 mg
Children 4–8 years 25 mg
Children 9–13 years 45 mg
Teens 14–18 years (boys) 75 mg
Teens 14–18 years (girls) 65 mg
Adults (men) 90 mg
Adults (women) 75 mg
Pregnant teens 80 mg
Pregnant women 85 mg
Breastfeeding teens 115 mg
Breastfeeding women 120 mg

If you smoke, add 35 mg to the above values to calculate your total daily recommended amount.

How much zinc do I need?

The amount of zinc you need each day depends on your age. Average daily recommended amounts for different ages are listed below in milligrams (mg):

Life Stage Recommended Amount
Birth to 6 months 2 mg
Infants 7–12 months 3 mg
Children 1–3 years 3 mg
Children 4–8 years 5 mg
Children 9–13 years 8 mg
Teens 14–18 years (boys) 11 mg
Teens 14–18 years (girls) 9 mg
Adults (men) 11 mg
Adults (women) 8 mg
Pregnant teens 12 mg
Pregnant women 11 mg
Breastfeeding teens 13 mg
Breastfeeding women 12 mg

 

Violet Floral Mother's Day Instagram Post

Reference: Tables copied directly from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Take care, blessings.

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A Bronx Tiger COVID-19 Positive

 

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The Forgotten … How are They?

And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then_Good day my friends. I read an article in the New York Times about the prison population, this got me wondering about the forgotten … the homeless, the undocumented, those imprisoned and those held in detention centers and their risk amidst this COVID-19 pandemic and began to do some checking around.

The Imprisoned

The Incarcerated

Of those persons incarcerated according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons 120 inmates and 54 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. (see link for updated statistics).

It is reported that criminal justice and reform groups and some lawmakers have been advocating the early release of some inmates due to the current pandemic and       pre-existing conditions.

Attorney General William Barr proposed review for some criminals to be on home quarantine subject to assurance that they would not be spreading the virus into communities.

The bureau have been on social distancing order (14-day lock down, that began April 1st, 2020, inmates have been isolated in their cells.

  • All inmates and staff are screened for COVID-19 prior to movement
  • All non-essential activities / assignments are suspended
  • All essential persons in and out of the facility will be screened
  • Any symptoms of COVID-19 will immediately be placed in isolation
  • Inmates telephone minutes increased to 500 mins/month
  • Absolutely no social visits
  • Transfers based on forensic, legal,essential and medical health issues
  • Legal visits suspended for 30 days and re-evaluated on a case by case basis

The Undocumented

The Incarcerated (2)

Since undocumented immigrants are well “undocumented” they will not be receiving any monies from the stimulus funds so what do they do?

A few community organizations are trying to help families get through this crisis. They are  paying for some groceries or offering small grants so families can remain safe at home during the pandemic.

The National Domestic Workers Alliance have begun a Coronavirus Care Fund as a means of support for domestic workers.

Lobbyists are hard at work trying to have undocumented workers included in the stimulus package.

The Homeless and Mentally Ill

The Incarcerated (1)

I wondered about the whereabouts of the homeless and “at risk” population in my area?

Where are they? What is happening with them?

I must admit I had not thought of that before today!

I found that they have been staying in the shelters and are being monitored and screened before entry and high traffic areas cleaned once each hour.

The shelters have also identified a “far wing” that can be used for quarantine should it become necessary.

They have also identified a hospital close by where any suspected cases can be sent to.

I have not passed to many persons in the streets as Dallas had always ‘encouraged’ them to see refuge in the shelters.

What’s happening in your Town?

If anyone out there is feeling they cannot cope, please reach out to; National Coalition for Mental Illness and Homelessness and you will be directed to your closest available resources.

Some resources

For Incarcerations

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Sinister?! … Your Thoughts…

I generally do not like to post controversial things of this nature, but in light of our present pains, I decided to put this one out there.

Could this be a sinister plot to undermine the world economy?

To put us/our children behind academically, financially? To kill of the elderly and others members of humankind?

This video was forwarded to me.

Why was this evil not contained within China’s borders but allowed to go free… infecting everywhere they deemed necessary.

Now China stands to profit by making medical supplies significantly marked-up instead of helping supply AID for the ills that originated on their shores.

Is this propaganda or is their a more sinister insidious evil at work here?

What are your thoughts?

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