Learning About COVID-19

by | Mar 17, 2020 | Fuel Your Wellness

Learning About COVID-19

This article was last updated on October 25, 2020

COVID-19 is part of a large family of viruses called coronaviruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold and to more severe diseases like: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and SARS-CoV.

Wellness Works NW does not own Forever Fit Gym, if you have questions please contact the gym at 360-425-5611.

As Forever Fit Gym has become a private membership club, due to COVID-19 mandates set by the City of Longview, Karen has been working as a private contractor. To keep the members of the gym safe, there are disposable masks, hand sanitizer, soap, water and paper towels and cleaner available. Each person must have their temperatures checked and verify their lack of COVID-19 symptoms upon arrival. Cleaning and disinfecting has become paramount, like not other time. The gym undergoes a complete disinfecting process every 2 weeks. If you have any questions about Forever Fit Gym please give them a call.

Karen from Wellness Works NW is available to individuals and small groups

Karen is training people online, at your home or the park or gym of your choice. She is also able to train groups of 5 people or less while using proper social distancing guidelines.

Wellness Works NW has provided several tools to Karen to help keep track of our clients health stats.

  • Karen wears an oximeter that will show the oxygen saturation and pulse rate when used.
  • Karen has a bag dedicated to our clients that includes: touchless thermometer, disposable face masks, latex free gloves, hand sanitizer, alcohol swaps, blood pressure monitors in 2 sizes, and a stethoscope. We will continue to add to this collection items meant to protect your health and well-being.

Please Contact Wellness Works NW to make an appointment or ask any questions about our services. 360-447-8061

The Latest News

>>>Read about How to Prepare for Holiday Celebrations

Washington State Information

Cowlitz County is in Phase 2 as of May 26th

Phase 2: Additional expansions of outdoor recreation activities would be allowed, as well as small gatherings of five or fewer people, new construction and in-store retail purchases with health restrictions. Barber shops and salons could reopen. Restaurants could reopen with 50% capacity and table size no larger than five. Some professional services and offices could open up as well, even though teleworking would remain strongly encouraged. Pet care services including grooming could resume.

Phase 3: Gatherings of 50 people or less, including sports activities, would be allowed, and non-essential travel could resume. Restaurants could move up to 75% capacity and tables up to 10 people, and bars at 25% capacity; gyms and movie theaters could reopen at 50% capacity; retail, libraries, museums and government buildings could reopen. Recreational facilities like pools could open at 50% capacity. Nightclubs and entertainment venues would still not be able to reopen.

Phase 4: Would involve resuming the majority of public interactions. Gatherings of more than 50 people would be allowed, but still while practicing physical distancing.

More Washington State Information

Here is a link to the Washington State Department of Health’s website.

Oregon State Information

Here is a link to the Oregon Health Authority’s website.

Nationwide Information

  • Total cases: 8,553,827

  • Total deaths: 224,221

  • Jurisdictions reporting cases: 55 (50 states, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands)

This information was found on the CDC website.

Everyone Should Wear Masks When They Leave Their Home

Cloth face coverings should—

  • fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
  • be secured with ties or ear loops
  • include multiple layers of fabric
  • some people suggest a middle layer of some sort of paper filter, like a coffee filter – these are changed frequently and not reused.
  • allow for breathing without restriction
  • be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape
  • masks need to washed daily

The CDC has several suggestions for how to make masks on their website…

Symptoms

Symptoms range from mild to severe depending on the patient within 2 to 14 days:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Repeated shaking with chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Sore Throat
  • New loss of taste or smell

COVID-19 (coronavirus): Long-term effects

COVID-19 symptoms can sometimes persist for months. The virus can damage the lungs, heart and brain, which increases the risk of long-term health problems.

…Read more on the Mayo Clinic Website

Emergency Warning Symptoms require immediate medical attention. Contact your medical professional if you have:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion or inability to wake up
  • Bluish lips or face

There are more symptoms that your doctor is aware of. It is important that if you are experiencing these symptoms that you get medical attention right away.

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. SARS was transmitted by mammals found in Asia and Africa called civet cats and MERS was transmitted by camels to humans. In 2009 we had the Swine Flu, otherwise known as H1N1 that was found in Mexico and the United States. We have also had several outbreaks of different Avian influenzas, which are spread through contact with infected birds, as early as 2006 and all the way through to 2017.

One big problem that COVID-19 has that it is possible to be contagious to other people before a person sees any signs of sickness. Complications such as severe pneumonia, respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and cardiac injury, including fatal outcomes, have been reported in severe cases of COVID-19, as found in China.

COVID-19 is spread person to person through droplets from a cough or sneeze which is why it is important that we stay in our homes unless it is imperative to leave. Reasons to leave are to get groceries or food from drive up windows only, going to the pharmacy or doctor. It is ok to go for a quick walk or bike ride but it is necessary that people stay in their neighborhoods.

>>>Read Staying Well During COVID-19

>>>Read Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay Home Stay Healthy Order

Who Should be Tested

Laboratory tests are available, scarce quantities, that can provide results in 4 to 6 hours. Not everyone needs to be tested for COVID-19. If your doctor feels you should be tested they will order the test. Interesting Facts:

  • Most people will have only a mild form of COVID-19 and will recover on their own.
  • There is not treatment specifically approved for COVID-19 as of 3/25/2020
  • Testing results may only be helpful to inform decision-making about who you come in contact with.
  • >>>Read more on the CDC Website

Please watch this video

This video was produced by Dr. Duc C. Vuong, MD

What Can You Do?

  • Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or at least 60% alcohol-based rub in order to kill viruses that might be on your hands
  • Stay Home unless you need to see a doctor, pharmacy or grocery store. Limit travel.
  • When you leave home maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet between yourself and others and wear face masks to avoid any spray of small liquid droplets that may come from a cough or sneeze from an infected person.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth which are the ways COVID-19 can enter your body.
  • Practice good respiratory hygiene by covering your sneeze or cough with your bent elbow or covering your face with a tissue and disposing of it right away.
  • Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces
  • If you have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing contact your medical professional to make arrangements to be seen. Your health authority will give you the best instructions to protect yourself and the public when you come in.
  • Stay informed and follow advice by your healthcare provider and local authorities.
  • If you have symptoms of COVID-19 stay home to avoid infecting anyone else.
  • If you develop fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical advice right away and let them know if you have traveled or were in contact with sick people so they can direct you to the best place to see a medical professional.

The above video was produced by World Health Organization.

Most healthy people who get COVID-19 will be ok. The people we are most concerned about are:

  • Older adults; risk increases by age
  • People with serious chronic medical conditions like: heart disease, diabetes and lung disease
  • COVID-19 seems to be more prevailant in people of color, however this terrible virus has affected and killed people in all age groups and levels of health.

Details From the First Known Outbreaks in China

As of January 29, 2020 there had been a total of 7736 patients with COVID-19, who were hospitalized at 552 locations in China. The article entitled Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China, mentioned in the Read More section at the end of this article, is based on the medical records of 1099 patients. Common symptoms of people who came for medical treatment in China between December 2019 and late January 2020 were:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Low White Blood Cell Count
  • Diarrhea was uncommon but present
  • Many had no signs of abnormal x-rays at the time they came for medical evaluation

Other Facts:

  • The median incubation period was 4 days (incubation days range from 2 to 7 days).
  • The median age of patients was 47 years old (age of patients ranged from 35 to 58 years of age).
  • The severity of COVID-19 increased with age and pre-existing conditions.
  • People were treated with antibiotics, flu medications, oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation, glucocorticoids (common anti inflammation medications that suppress the immune system) as was necessary per each individual patient.
  • The median hospital stay was 12 days.
  • Over 91% of patients developed pneumonia
  • Over 3 % of patients developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

Details from the First Known Case in the United States

According to First Case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the United States, which is listed in the Read More section of this article, on January 19, 2020, a 35-year-old man went to an urgent care clinic in Snohomish County, Washington with a 4 day cough and fever. He had recently traveled to Wuhan, China, although he had not gone to the Hunan Seafood Wholesale, where it is believed that the first cases were originated from, and reported that the people he had spent time with were not sick, it made sense to test him for the COVID-19 virus. By the next day it was confirmed that he did have COVID-19.

The man was placed in an airborne-isolation unit at Providence Regional Medical Center. He reported a persistent dry cough and 2 days of nausea and vomiting. He was given fluids and treated for nausea.

Days 2 through 5 in the hospital (days 6 through 9 of illness) the man’s vitals were mostly stable, however he had intermittent fevers and periods of accelerated heart rate. He also had a few bouts of diarrhea. He was treated for pain and cough and given fluids.

On day 7 of illness (day 3 in the hospital), tests did not show anything out of the ordinary, yet on day 9 (day 5 in the hospital), chest x-rays showed evidence of pneumonia. At this time he was given supplemental oxygen and appropriate antibiotics.

On day 6 in the hospital (and day 10 of illness), x-rays showed signs of atypical pneumonia in both lungs, otherwise known as walking pneumonia. Appropriate antibiotics were continued and a clinical trial drug for COVID-19 that has been in the works since February 17, 2020 was administered without any issues. Antibiotics were adjusted as was appropriate on day 7 in the hospital.

On day 8 in the hospital (illness day 12) the man’s condition had improved enough that supplemental oxygen was discontinued, his appetite had improved and his breath sounds had improved so that there were no clicking or bubbling sounds heard with a stethoscope.

On day 14 of the illness the man was still hospitalized. His fever was gone but he still had a cough that was decreasing in severity.

During medical treatment the man received a nasal swab test as dictated by the CDC guidelines, blood tests, stool samples and x-rays to evaluate his illness. At the time this article was written, it is still hard to say exactly how COVID-19 progresses because it is common for people to become similarly ill during the winter months.

I must admit, I had not intended to write this article. In fact the topic I was going to write about will be published on another day. As I was researching that topic I realized that I needed to know what was happening and I am sure that it may help other people to benefit from what I learned…in smaller words…my head hurts from all this studying.

By now you know that Forever Fit Gym was closed in compliance with Governor Jay Inslee’s announcement of quarantine. That doesn’t mean that Wellness Works NW is not working to inform you or that you can’t make a personal appointment with Karen G Clemenson. We are very interested in finding creative ways to continue to help you on your path towards wellness.

Make an Appointment Today

Karen is available by

    • Phone
    • FaceTime
    • Facebook Messenger
    • Zoom
    • She is willing to try other online platforms.

Text or call 360-447-8061

Many of our clients are really enjoying being trained without any of the normal interruptions that happen at the gym.

Please feel free to contact Forever Fit Gym on their Facebook page or contact your personal trainer in your normal manner because I know that we are not the only ones that will work with you.

Please take care of yourself. Be mindful of your physical, mental and spiritual needs and love your neighbor (keeping 6 feet between you, of course).

I hope this article answered questions you had and was easy to understand. If you would like us to write about a particular topic that you can’t find on this site, please send us an email on our Dear Jamie page and someone from Our Team will be glad to research and write about your topic.

Resources and Start Learning More:

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I hope this article helps Fuel Your Wellness. Please leave your comments below.

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~ Fuel Your WellnessSummer D Clemenson co-owns Clemenson Enterprises and Wellness Works NW with her wife, Karen G Clemenson. Their personal motto is Creativity, Honesty & Positivity are a must! This mantra helps them stay community and wellness minded in all they do. Summer also writes poetry and inspirational blogs @ ClemensonEnterprises.com. Her crochet art can be viewed and purchased @ KnottyWares.com & she loves special orders!

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