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Here’s What You Can Do If You’re Living With Someone Who Has COVID-19
It’s happened. Coronavirus has entered your home. You can’t seem to fathom how this could be possible. You’ve been washing your hands religiously, maintaining social-distancing guidelines, and have wiped down your surfaces over and over again. Still, it happened. Now is not the time to despair. It’s time to take care of your loved one and protect yourself at the same time. You may observe certain symptoms like a dry cough, extreme fatigue, and loss of a sense of smell or taste among others. Just as when anyone becomes ill, even if it’s not necessarily with COVID19, it’s a good idea to keep your distance until they get tested. Here’s what you should do:
Call the doctor or your county’s health department to report their symptoms and to ask if they can get tested. If they are approved for testing, help them get a testing location. There should be multiple locations around your area. Some CVS Pharmacies do offer drive-thru testing. If you choose this method, it may take a few days to get the results back. Costs of testing may vary depending on his or her medical insurance.
If they can’t get tested right away, it’s best to take the necessary precautions and to act as if they do have the virus. In other words, keep your distance as best you can.
If you are living with someone who is ill, give them a specific space or area that the can quarantine themselves in. This will serve to protect both yourself from contracting the illness and them from passing it to you.
If the person is sick, make sure they are always coughing into their mask or cloth, or elbow or a tissue to prevent the spread of any germs or particles into the air.
Washing your hands with hot water and soap is always best, but use alcohol rub if you don’t have access to soap and water.
Wipe down surfaces with soap and disinfectants.
Don’t touch your face or rub your eyes if you haven’t washed your hands.
It’s very important to keep a constant lookout for the sick individual because this virus can take a turn for the worse rather quickly. Offer them both physical and emotional support whenever you can, without getting too close.
There are certain warning signs of danger when it comes to COVID-19 that you should be aware of: trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure that doesn’t go away, confusion or can’t be woken up, or a blue color in their lips or face.
Designate a bedroom for them to stay in. They shouldn’t leave that bedroom except to go to the bathroom. Keep everyone away from them. Also, if you can, open a window to get the air circulating inside.
Designate a sick bathroom for them. If you only have one bathroom, you’re going to need to clean the surfaces inside the bathroom every time they use it.
Follow safety guidelines related to medication to reduce fevers like ibuprofen. Do not exceed the recommended dosage. Keep track of when and how often the sick person is taking the medication.
Make sure plenty of blankets, pillows, books, magazines, TV, or a computer are available for their leisure while they are recovering. Make them as comfortable as possible. Keep a phone charger near their bed, so they can call or text you if they need something.
Bring food to them on a tray and maintain your distance as you give it to them.
Keep their laundry separate from yours. This may sound excessive, but it’s important to remember that germs can pass through clothing as well. You want to take any and all precautions to make sure you don’t get sick, too.
Go through your entire house and clean all surfaces and areas thoroughly.
We understand that these have been trying times for many. All of the recommendations included here are steps you should already be taking to prevent the spread of germs and ailments even if it’s not COVID-19.
For more information about how to care for someone with COVID-19, please visit the CDC’s website.
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How to Choose a Christmas Tree
It’s that time of year again! The most wonderful time of the year! Everything from what you’re going to prepare as a meal for your family, to what gifts you’re going to exchange, all of the details make up a very busy time! There’s another item on that important list of “To-Do’s”: what kind of Christmas tree are you going to buy this year?
Choosing a Christmas tree can be an overwhelming endeavor because all of the trees may look so similar. Some have better needle retention than others, which may be an important factor when considering which tree you want to buy if you have small children. Apart from worrying about your children picking up needles from the floor, the cleanup process may prove to be longer than you’re willing to tolerate.
Some trees give off a strong fragrance, so if you’re sensitive to certain smells or have certain allergies, be cautious before making your purchase.
A very important factor to consider is the strength of the tree’s branches. If you’re more of a minimalist, you have a lot more options available to you. If you’re the type of person that has accumulated countless ornaments over the years and you like to place every single decoration you can think of on your tree, you may consider a tree with sturdy branches to withstand all of the weight of your ornaments. A tree with soft foliage is probability a more suitable option for family’s with children or pets to prevent injuries from occurring.
You can buy your tree from a local nursery or a farm where you can select and cut your own. Some nurseries already have trees cut, so you may be able to skip that step. Still, it’s important to examine the trees before making your choice. If you see a tree with a lot of needles underneath it, it means the tree is not in good condition and you shouldn’t buy it. Another way to see if you’re buying a healthy tree is by gently guiding your hand from a branch on the tree to its tip. It’s important that the tree not drop any needles when you make this motion because it means it’s strong and durable and will last.
After you take your tree home, make sure you’re always providing it with plenty of water. Negligence in this department may prove dangerous because, as a tree dries out, it can become more prone to catching fire. Always be mindful and keep an eye on your water dish beneath your tree and make sure it’s full.
The most common species of trees in Maryland are the following: Douglas Fir, White Pine, Colorado “Blue” Spruce, Scotch Pine, Norway Spruce, Fraser Fir, Canaan Fir and Concolor Fir. Different species have different establishment costs, management requirements, and marketability.
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Why Do We Celebrate Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed a national holiday during one of the most trying times in our nation’s history: 1863, during the time of the Civil War. How did Thanksgiving come to be one of the most important celebrations in the United States? Let’s take a little trip back in history, shall we?:
It’s September 1620. A ship called the Mayflower leaves Plymouth, England. Religious liberty and a freedom to be landowners is at the forefront of the minds of its 102 passengers. This would not be an easy journey by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, these brave souls would endure some of the most treacherous conditions known to man. After a dangerous journey that spanned 66 days, they planted themselves near the edge of Cape Cod; their original plan was to arrive at the Hudson River. A month later, the passengers of the Mayflower would settle their own village at Plymouth.
The colonists aboard the Mayflower battled everything from freezing temperatures to outbreaks of horrible disease. Half of the group would succumb to disease before spring. In March of that year, the remaining crew reached land where they would be greeted by someone they certainly did not expect: an Abenaki Native American who would greet them in their native English.
After meeting the colonists, the Native American would leave them and return days later with another Native American. Some of you may have heard of him before. His name was Squanto. This meeting with Squanto would prove to be one of the most fruitful meetings in human history, for it gave the colonists the opportunity to learn how to grow their own crops, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish, and how to identify poisonous plants.
Why is Thanksgiving celebrated in November? Well, in November of 1621, after the colonists successfully harvested their first corn, Governor William Bradford organized a feast in which he invited Native Americans from various tribes to eat with the colonists. Additionally, at the height of the Civil War in 1863, Abraham Lincoln wanted to bring the country together. In his proclamation, he wanted all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife and to “heal the wounds of the nation”. He scheduled a Thanksgiving for the last Thursday in November.
While there are some Native Americans who strongly disagree with how the history and significance and Thanksgiving is taught to Americans due to the, oftentimes, violent history between Native Americans and European settlers, it is important to remember that through no time in human history has there ever been conflict between human beings. In fact, people engaging in violent conflict is well-documented. From the times of the Caesars to when the Scottish people fought for their freedom against the English crown, it was clear that, although leaders did their best to avoid armed conflict, bloodshed was unavoidable. The conflict between the Native Americans and European settlers was not an unusual occurrence. Human beings have fought amongst each other for centuries. What is important to remember is how peoples from completely different backgrounds were able to put their differences aside and come together to celebrate what they had in common: a mutual need for trade, land, negotiations, and yes, the absence of armed conflict. The survival and prosperity of their individual tribes was more important.
We are living in uncertain times. The outbreak of the Coronavirus has tested us as Americans, challenging the very ideals we so strongly hold in our hearts. This Thanksgiving, may we all take a moment to remember what brings us together, what we have in common and what values we all share as members of this great country. We have an opportunity to remind ourselves of what it truly means to be an American. It’s not something that we should ever take for granted.
sources: https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving
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How You Can Start Leading a Happier Life Right Now
Exercise more.
Not only does exercising regularly have the potential to help you lose weight, but it has profoundly positive effects on your psychological health. Exercise releases dopamine, a chemical that plays a role in how you feel pleasure, into your brain. It also has the ability to help us focus, plans, and strive to improve in various aspects of our lives. Even those who don’t see a dramatic change in their physical appearance from regular exercise do tend to have better brain health.
Get more sleep.
Lack of sleep may lead to feeling extremely irritable and short-tempered. Additionally, people who are sleep-deprived have a more difficult time recalling pleasant memories, but recall unpleasant ones just fine.
Move closer to work.
Most of us don’t spend too much time focusing on it, but we spend a lot of time behind the wheel. We drive back and forth to work five days out of the week and we do it twice a day. What’s worse is we never take the time to consider the negative effects surrounding our commutes because the factors involved are always everchanging. For instance, on some days, the traffic may be light and easy-flowing. On other days, what usually takes us thirty minutes takes us an hour and fifteen minutes. Because these instances are often spread out, we never grow accustomed to them. As a result, our attitudes are negatively impacted. When we are stressed or upset about something, that can have a tendency to seep its way over into our work, affecting our job performance. The negativity begins to snowball, eventually resulting in a catastrophic event.
Spend more time with friends and family.
Material possessions may bring you happiness, but oftentimes, that happiness is fleeting, meaning that it is short-lived. Clothing goes out of style, cars age and break down and depreciate in value. It’s our relationships with friends and family that bring us true happiness and feelings of fulfillment.
Go outside.
Studies have shown that prolonged periods of sitting down are bad for our health. In fact, such conditions as obesity, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels have been linked to this. Many of us work office jobs that require us to sit at our desks for long periods of time. It’s important to get up and stretch periodically to increase circulation and blood flow in the body. Additionally, being outside for at least twenty minutes when it’s warm versus being stuck inside has proven to increase happiness and overall productivity in the workplace.
Give back to your community.
You might think that spending money on material possessions such as cars, shoes, TVs, or expensive jewelry can bring you satisfaction and happiness. Temporarily, yes, this may be true. But, remember what we were saying about how our relationships with other people is what really brings us happiness? Human beings are social creatures who need human-to-human contact. It’s a necessary thing for both or mental and physical well-being. Acts of service like volunteering at a soup kitchen or participating in a clothing drive for the less fortunate or just being involved with a recreational sports league can bring us immense happiness because we are surrounded by people we care about and people who care about us.
Plan a trip. But, don’t actually take one.
Having a goal, working hard towards achieving that goal, and then finally being successful in accomplishing your goal is incredibly satisfying. Studies have shown that getting a break from work can improve our overall happiness. Have you ever gotten really excited about the prospect of going on an extended vacation? Didn’t you feel really happy about the idea of getting away from the stresses of everyday life? It’s been said that time period of time leading up to vacation creates much more happiness than the period after the vacation is over.
Meditate.
Reserve some time out of your day for meditation and self-reflection. Meditation can help improve focus, clarity and attention span. YouTube has several videos you can follow to practice meditating. Light some candles to create a relaxing ambiance and then get started.
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