It is easy to be confused and overwhelmed by the ever-changing landscape of the novel coronavirus pandemic and what it has wrought.
We are living our lives as never before. And just when you think you have a handle on your everyday conduct – doing things like responsibly social distancing, getting your food via delivery, and handling health care over the telephone or via video conferencing – the rules change again, as happened recently when the state of Georgia relaxed restrictions on “non-essential businesses.” And then the questions start again…
- What is the right thing to do, and what can I trust?
- Have we “flattened the curve,” and is the worst behind us?
- How can I best stay healthy; should I just start going about my normal routines as much as possible?
Longstreet Clinic physicians Andrew Reisman, M.D., a family medicine specialist who is also the current president of the Medical Association of Georgia and sits on Governor Brian Kemp’s COVID-19 task force, as well as Hall County’s COVID task force, and Erum Farooqi, M.D., an internal medicine specialist, want you to know that it is perfectly normal to wonder all of these things and more. Below, they answer some commonly asked questions about the virus based on what medicine now knows about this unprecedented health situation in hopes this information will help you make decisions as parts of the state begin to reopen.
We hear so much about “flattening the curve,” what does that actually mean? And have we, in fact, achieved that?
Considering those realities, does that mean the worst is behind us – even with the state of Georgia loosening restrictions on non-essential businesses and opening beaches for limited public use?
- Am I safe to resume being around people outside of my immediate family and resume going to the businesses that have re-opened?
- If I am considering re-opening my business, what steps can I take to minimize the risks of myself, employees or customers contracting COVID-19?
- What do we currently know about the novel coronavirus?
- What is the safest course of action for me and my family?
- If I have any questions about my health or my family’s health during this pandemic what is the best course of action?
