Plum Health Blog
How To Prepare for the Holidays During the Coronavirus Pandemic
As winter approaches with COVID cases surging, taking steps to keep yourself and your loved ones both physically and mentally healthy is of paramount importance.
Get a Flu Shot
First and foremost, those who are able should receive the annual influenza vaccine as soon as possible. The CDC defines flu season as the period from December to January, meaning the peak for influenza cases this year is rapidly approaching.
While the flu shot will not specifically protect you from COVID, the vaccination confers a host of benefits, including reduced likelihood of hospitalization or exacerbation of chronic diseases such as COPD, diabetes, or heart disease. Reducing hospitalizations can relieve some of the burden on our already-strained hospital system as we contend with the rising number of patients with COVID.
For context, influenza caused 38,000,000 symptomatic illnesses, 18,000,000 medical visits, 400,000 hospitalizations, and 22,000 deaths in the United States during the 2019 to 2020 flu season. If everyone got a flu shot prior to this season, we could see a dramatic reduction in these numbers.
Winter Holiday Planning
Another consideration is planning for the winter holidays and the gatherings that tend to accompany them. As the cold weather drives more people inside and impairs the ability to gather outdoors, we expect to see the number of COVID cases increase markedly.
This is obviously a touchy subject; this has been a stressful year, and most of us want nothing more than to spend time with our friends and families. A strong social support network lowers stress, promotes good mental health, and can even lower your blood pressure.
While these benefits from social support systems are certainly desirable, steps should be taken to ensure everyone can enjoy the festivities without increasing the risk of getting sick. The current statewide restrictions limit indoor gatherings to a maximum of 10 people and no more than two households, so it is important to plan accordingly.
To maximize safety, anyone you invite should be practicing safe habits, including wearing a face covering like a mask, maintaining physical distancing at 6 to 10 feet at all times, and washing their hands regularly, prior to coming to the event to reduce the likelihood of catching COVID from community spread.
If there is any doubt as to whether someone may have acquired coronavirus before coming to your house, there are many sites where free testing is available, including the City of Detroit testing site at the Joseph Walker Williams Community Center on Rosa Parks Boulevard and most commercial drug stores like Walgreens and CVS.
If you test positive or test negative and have symptoms highly suspicious for COVID, including fever, dry cough, and loss of taste or smell, the safest course of action is to stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days. The worst case scenario would be to spread coronavirus from yourself to an older, sicker, or more vulnerable member of your family who could die from COVID or suffer significant physical impairments from the virus.
At the gathering, try to maintain physical distance as much as possible, wash your hands frequently, avoid sharing utensils, and consider shortening the duration of the event, as longer time spent indoors is associated with a greater risk of spreading the virus.
How a Healthy Lifestyle Can Help
Finally, try to maintain your regular healthy lifestyle habits, even during the winter months. If you typically exercise outside, dress in layers and ensure you are well-hydrated. Do your best to get eight hours of sleep each night, and practice healthy eating as much as possible.
There is always the temptation to overeat during the holidays, so conscientious eating and portion control can help reduce excess calorie intake and still allow you to enjoy your favorite holiday dishes.
The changes in weather and lack of sunlight can also trigger or worsen depression in some individuals, so it is important to communicate with your primary care physician about any depressive symptoms you may be experiencing. In general, it is good practice to keep in touch with your primary care physician, as they are best equipped to manage your healthcare concerns.
For those without a Primary Care Physician, my practice, Plum Health DPC, is currently accepting new patients. We offer subscription-based care and affordable testing and medications, including flu shots and COVID antibody testing. Anyone interested in signing up or seeking additional information can visit our website, here.
Thanks for reading and watching,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC, written with Geoffrey Ginter, Third Year Medical Student at Wayne State University School of Medicine
Virtual Walk with the Doctor on Detroit's Beautiful Belle Isle
Virtual Walk with the Doctor in Detroit
This week, I'm hosting a virtual walk with the doctor. We're headed out into beautiful Belle Isle park in the middle of the Detroit River, walking through one of my favorite trails and seeing wildlife along the way.
Exploring Beautiful Belle Isle with Dr. Paul Thomas
Detroit's Belle Isle was designed in the late 1800s by Frederick Law Olmstead, who also designed Central Park in New York City, Mount Royal Park in Quebec, and the Emerald Necklace in Boston. The wooded areas were a central feature of his design, so it's fitting that we're able to walk through one of those wooded areas.
As you spend time on Belle Isle, you'll see a broad array of wildlife. There are groundhogs (aka chuck hogs or whistle pigs), chipmunks, squirrels, eagles, herons, Canadian geese, woodcocks (aka timberdoodles) ducks, frogs, woodpeckers, blue jays, hawks, and many more. During our walk today, we saw several blue jays, ducks, and frogs.
If you want to explore Belle Isle outside of the wooded areas and wildlife areas, there are several attractions. These include the Belle Isle Aquarium, Coy Fish Pond, the Belle Isle Conservatory, the Belle Isle Beach, and many others - the Casino, Detroit Boat Club, Detroit Yacht Club, Dossin Great Lake Museum, Nancy Brown Peace Carillon Tower, Belle Isle Golf Range, Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse, etc...
One exciting new development on the island is the new and ongoing construction of the Oudolf Garden - Piet Oudolf is best known for his work with the High Line in New York and Lurie Garden in Chicago. It's really exciting to have this type of investment into the island, and this new garden will be situated at the base of the Nancy Brown Peace Carillon Tower.
Why 30 Minutes of Daily Exercise is Important for Long-Term Health
My goal with this is to provide some education and entertainment during these trying times of Covid 19, quarantine, political uncertainty, and the stress of daily life. Take a few moments to enjoy this video and immerse yourself in a calming environment.
Perhaps you'll watch this video while on your treadmill, or perhaps this video will inspire you to check out your nearest park and to hike a trail close to your home. Importantly, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following activity levels for adults:
For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity. Preferably, aerobic activity should be spread throughout the week.
Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond the equivalent of 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.
Adults should also do muscle-strengthening twice weekly and this has added health benefits
I bring this up because I’m a family doctor and because the leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease. From the CDC:
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. One person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease. About 655,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that's 1 in every 4 deaths.
The best way to combat heart disease is with regular exercise, a health diet, and no smoking cigarettes and limited alcohol consumption.
Thanks for reading and watching and I hope this video inspires you to strive for your health goals and to get outside for a walk this week!
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit Doctor on AskASwimPro Show with Fares Ksebati
This week, I was invited on the AskASwimPro Show with Fares Ksebati. Fares is the CEO of MySwimPro, an App that helps swimmers improve their stroke, among other things. From their website:
MySwimPro is using technology to advance the sport of swimming and help swimmers all over the world achieve their goals in new and exciting ways. The platform is more than just an app, it's a community that keeps you accountable and pushes you to do your best.
In general, we had an informative discussion about the Coronavirus and its impact on our communities, specifically swimmers. Here’s what the MySwimPro team wrote about on their blog, found here:
In this episode of the #AskASwimPro Show, we interviewed Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health about the novel coronavirus, how to practice social distancing, the importance of “flattening the curve” and how swimmers can stay safe.
Dr. Thomas explained that many of us have had a coronavirus before, but that COVID-19 is more contagious. COVID-19 has a mortality rate of 3.5%, compared to the seasonal flu’s mortality rate of 0.1%, he says.
The virus spreads through coughing and inhaling someone else’s respiratory droplets. Due to this, Dr. Thomas explained that it isn’t wise to fly right now, since airplanes place you in close proximity to others.
He also noted that COVID-19 can live on surfaces for up to 3 days:
Stainless steel and plastic: 3 days
Cardboard and paper products: 24 hours
Copper: 4 hours
We go on to discuss social distancing:
Social distancing involves staying 6 feet away from others when you are outside, and avoiding contact with others while at home. You risk transmission any time you talk, shake hands or spend time around others. Dr. Thomas recommends that people avoid gathering with others and stay home in “self-quarantine,” noting that in cultures where it is common to kiss each other on the cheek or shake hands, COVID-19 can spread very quickly.
If you get COVID-19, you will be quarantined for at least 14 days, Dr. Thomas said. However, researchers have mentioned that you may be able to infect others for up to 20 days after showing symptoms.
We then discuss Flattening the Curve:
The healthcare system in the United States can only manage so many patients at one time, Dr. Thomas said. By practicing social distancing, we can “flatten the curve,” reducing the number of COVID-19 cases at a given time and keeping healthcare providers within their capacity. If we don’t do this, Dr. Thomas noted that the U.S. healthcare system will be unable to effectively care for patients.
We then talked about how you can stay safe during this Coronavirus Pandemic:
Dr. Thomas shared tips to stay safe and healthy:
Wash your hands: Before you prepare food, after going to the bathroom and before touching your face.
If you have a cough or a low grade fever (99 or 100 degrees Fahrenheit): Stay home, drink lots of fluids, take Tylenol and get some rest. You likely are not sick enough to benefit from a doctor’s treatment. Save the hospital beds — and the healthcare providers’ time — for those who are sickest!
If you have severe symptoms, such as a high fever and trouble breathing: Go to the hospital.
Thanks for reading and watching,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Better Ways to Spend Time and Money on Cyber Monday
There are better ways to spend your time and money during Cyber Monday, I’ll list a few of them here:
invest money into a retirement account, like a Roth IRA or a 401K or 403B plan
put a little extra money into your mortgage, or if you have an auto loan, pay a little extra on your auto loan
invest into a child’s education fund
visit an elderly relative or a neighbor, bonus points if you bring them some nutritious food
go to the gym and have a good work out, bonus points if you go with a friend or a partner/spouse/significant other
take time to make a healthy meal at home
schedule an appointment with your doctor
schedule an appointment with your dentist
check your tires before it snows again
your tread can wear down over time, and sometimes the cold weather can cause deflation
make a donation to a charity
volunteer at a local service organization
if you choose to shop, shop at a local small business and get to know the people that work there and the business owner
write a thank you note to whoever hosted you for Thanksgiving Dinner or a Thanksgiving-related event
meditate
be grateful for what you already have
I know that people can overspend during the Holidays, and I’ve read that people can go into about $1,000 in debt due to holiday spending, but there are better ways to spend your time and money on Cyber Monday. You can invest into yourself and into your retirement accounts, invest into your children’s education funds, take time to exercise and eat healthy foods, and visit and spend time with elderly folks in your life and in your community.
Thanks for reading and have a great day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas
