Medical updates:
At this time the most pressing issue is that of elderly parents who are at home and have already come down with COVID-19. They have been sick for more than a few days and need help from their children and others. As pointed out yesterday, this is a debilitating illness; it causes people to be ill for up to 2 weeks, where they are not drinking or eating enough, are weak, tired, have been in bed, and now are particularly susceptible to falling, and all the other dangers of being alone and frail.
To this end we believe that those adults who HAVE HAD the virus (defined by the by now well known clinical illness-ANY of the following symptoms over the past 2 weeks - fever, headache, lack of taste and smell, cough, weakness, sore throat or body aches) and are improving, need to now be available to take care of their ill parents personally. If you have been sick, and your parent is sick with symptoms of the virus, then to the best of our knowledge there is minimal risk of infecting one another. Take care personally of your ill parents, please.
IMPORTANTLY, if your parents are not ill, and have not had symptoms of the virus, then they should remain under strict isolation, and especially if you are not recovered do NOT visit them.
As we by and large have not been testing (now a specific directive of the Department of Health), we do not know exactly who definitely had this illness. This decision will be made on clinical grounds as above, and you can be “presumed” to have had the illness. After the 7/3 period (7 days from onset, or 3 days after fever abates, whichever is longer) you may resume normal activities always paying attention social distancing.
We want to reiterate the decision to use Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) early in the disease if possible, with a warning to those on cardiac medications to check with their physician. At this time we are endorsing the use of Zithromax, in those at risk or who have been ill a long time, together with the Plaquenil.
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We are trying to asses the extent of households affected in order to make a best judgement and develop guidelines for the near future. As posted earlier today, please fill out this survey if you have not yet done so:
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Social support programs:
For COVID-related questions:
COVID hotline: 212-901-2000
Assistance with errands etc for those in isolation:
Errand helpline: chcovid@gmail.com (or call hotline)
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Do you have a loved one, neighbor , zaidy that can use a daily call?
Do you have a loved one, neighbor, or zaidy that can use a daily call? We are starting an adopt a bubby/zaidy/friend program. We need to reduce the spread of the disease while increasing the spread of care and love for those in isolation. A phone call can be short, however the impact will be large. To put a bubby/zaidy/friend in need on list please message Rochie Korolitzky 6466437127 or Miriam Meltzer 9142611917. Please be sure to ask someone if they would like to be added before you request it.
Additionally, please allow some response time during this very busy time. Thank you!
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Hoping and praying on this day for a Refuah Shleimah for all those still not recovered!
- The Gedaliah Society, in conjunction with Dr. Rosen
