Old and New Threats for Old and Young
Claudewell S. Thomas, MD, MPH, DLFAPA, is an established psychiatrist who is currently retired ,, He received his medical degree in 1956 at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine and specializes in social psychiatry, public health psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry. Dr. Thomas was board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry... more
The trio of COVID-19 and its omicron variants, the flu, and respiratory syncytial vesicular disease are ravaging through the United States. Hospital beds and space are insufficient and the absence of a national triage system is being acutely felt. It isn't clear what the relationship is between the rlse of authoritarian beliefs and the reemergence of health care chaos. The ability of county and state courts to block masking and social distancing mandates is seen as a needed counter to a federal system imposing them.
What can you do? Make sure that your vaccinations and those of anyone who you are looking after are up to date, wear a mask and social distance as though they are the law, regard all gatherings as local spread opportunities for diseases, eat nutritious foods low in fat and carbohydrates, insist on hand washing by school age children in your environment, obtain devices that are available at relatively low cost that measure blood pressure, heart rate, and rhythm, make sure to be careful in public places and avoid settings where personal attacks have or can occur.
