COVID-19: Take Cover of Your Summer

With summer approaching and the United States (and many other countries) in various stages of reopening, there has been growing concern that COVID-19 infection rates will continue to rise and make it even more difficult to contain the virus. While this doesn’t mean that you cannot enjoy your summer, it does suggest that you should be careful and take cover of your surroundings in order to minimize risk of contracting a potentially virulent virus.

Here are some suggestions.

1. Restaurants: Outdoor seating is the preferred way to dine during COVID-19 because viral droplets are diluted out and quickly dispersed rather than entrapped and confined in an enclosed space for a period of time. Whether indoor air conditioning may also increase the transfer of virus through air currents, has also recently been suggested. In either scenario, maintaining at least 6 feet distance between tables with face masks for patrons and restaurant personnel seems reasonably prudent.
2. Beaches: Good News! COVID-19 is unlikely to pose significant risk of transmission by seawater or even sitting on the sand. However, while the virus is sensitive to heat and the Sun’s ultraviolet light, thereby reducing time of exposure, it can still be transmissible from someone who is actively shedding the virus and within close proximity (less than 6 feet) to an uninfected stranger. Bottom line: maintain a good distance on the beach that is outside of your group.
3. Sporting Events: When college and professional sport teams restart play this summer/fall, they will encounter stadium/arenas that are empty or at minimal capacity. But not to worry- games will continue to be broadcast on TV and radio. More importantly and based upon encouraging preliminary data from recent clinical trials, many of us now believe that curative vaccines will be available within the next 6-12 months, after which I look forward to rooting for our home teams in sold-out stadiums.

Michael Miller, MD is a cardiologist and Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology & Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.  His latest book,  “Heal Your Heart: The Positive Emotions Prescription to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease” is published by Penguin Random House, USA.

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COVID-19 & Travel: Key Clues to Keeping Safe

How did a world class epidemiologist who studied Ebola, SARS and COVID-19 with a wealth of knowledge on viral safety precautions become very ill from COVID-19?  It’s a fundamental question that Dr. Joseph Fair thought critically about during his recent hospitalization.  After all, he wore a mask and gloves while flying home.  Like other respiratory viruses, COVID-19 is spread through droplets that travel farthest after coughing, sneezing, singing and screaming.  While enclosed spaces are most problematic, Dr Fair does not recall anyone seated around him who was coughing, sneezing, screaming or singing.  In fact, because most passengers were wearing a face mask, the likelihood of viral transmission should have been very low.  So how did he catch COVID-19?

The only area that he did not cover were his eyes- in fact, Dr Fair believes that a viral droplet landed on his eye at some point during during the crowded airline flight.  It turns out that the COVID-19 virus can bind to specialized (ACE2) receptors on the surface of the eye similar to its mechanism for gaining entry into the lungs.  The virus then multiplies and cause a full blown infection as occurred to Dr. Fair.

So what can you do about it?  The optimal protection when traveling by public transportation (planes, trains and busses) should now be a face mask, gloves/hand washing AND protective eye gear.  This will ensure you the most protection and reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19.

Wishing you safe travels during these troubled times!

Michael Miller, MD is a cardiologist and Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology & Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.  His latest book,  “Heal Your Heart: The Positive Emotions Prescription to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease” is published by Penguin Random House, USA.

 

 

 

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COVID-19 Diet : What We Know

A lot has been written about what we can do to protect ourselves against COVID-19.  They include social distancing (minimum of 6 feet apart), face masks (to be used in public/indoor locations) and hand washing (soap & water for 20 seconds),  This blog will focus on what we know about the role of diet and supplements in fighting COVID-19.

What We Know:  If you are otherwise healthy (you don’t smoke/vape, have normal weight, blood pressure, glucose), manage day-to-day stressors, sleep restfully, consume a healthy diet (primarily plant-based) and exercise with a 15-30 minute exposure to sunshine daily,  the likelihood of experiencing a serious COVID-19 complication is very low (less than 5%).  Given your healthy status and lifestyle, there is no evidence that adding any supplements or “superfoods” will add additional protection against risk of contracting COVID-19.

However, if you are at increased risk of COVID-19 complications, lifestyle changes may help to reduce risk.  This includes weight reduction for those who are overweight, hypertensive and diabetic (see my previous blog entitled:  Tips to Increase Sleep & Lose Weight. A host of other dietary recommendations can be found in “Heal Your Heart” (see below).

Vitamin D Supplementation:  If you have low blood levels of Vitamin D (less than 12 ng/mL), not only does your risk for bone fractures increase but research now suggests that you are also at higher risk of COVID-19 complications  with some  now recommending high dose Vitamin D supplementation,  If you do not know your Vitamin D level, ask your health care provider to have it checked and discuss whether Vitamin D supplementation may be appropriate for you.

Foods Enriched in Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Vitamins and Minerals:  If your diet is lacking these important nutrients, check out this Table as an excellent resource of high quality foods to help bolster your immune system.  This is especially important because lacking these key nutrients increases susceptibility to a wide array of infections, including COVID-19.

Michael Miller, MD is Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Epidemiology & Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland USA with services on the Nutrition Council, American Heart Association and Nutrition Workgroup, American College of Cardiology.  His latest book,  “Heal Your Heart: The Positive Emotions Prescription to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease” is published by Penguin Random House.