From Sheridan Memorial Hospital, originally printed in The Sheridan Press

People who are 65 or older are more likely to have serious COVID-19 illness.

This may be because immune systems change with age, making it harder to fight off diseases and infection. Older adults also are more likely to have underlying health conditions that make it harder to cope with and recover from illness.

Who is at risk:

Based on what we know now, those at high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are:

• People aged 65 years and older

• People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility

As well as, people of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, including:

• People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma

• People who have serious heart conditions

• People who are immunocompromised: Many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications

• People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher)

• People with diabetes

• People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis treatments

• People with liver disease

How to avoid exposure:

Reducing exposure is especially important for people at higher risk of complications. Take actions to reduce your risk of getting sick.

• Stay home as much as possible.

• Make sure you have access to several weeks of medications and supplies in case you need to stay home for prolonged periods of time. CDC has great resources to help you plan.

• Plan now for what you will do if you, or people you rely on for support, become ill.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.

• If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

• To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.

• Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places.

• Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.

• Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks & cell phones)

• Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick.

• Avoid all non-essential travel including plane trips, and especially avoid embarking on cruise ships.

Things you can do to support yourself:

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories and social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.

• Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.

• Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.

• Write down something you are thankful / grateful for.

• Call a loved one, family member or friend to check in on them and let them know you care about them and their emotional well-being. Write a letter.

• Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.

• Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.

• If you, or someone you care about, are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others call: 911, National Alliance for Mental Illness Help Line: 1-800-950-6264 – has a specific line for COVID-19, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

If you think you have COVID-19?

To better serve our community and keep everyone safe, the hospital has a designated hotline for anyone who thinks they may have contracted COVID-19. If you are experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms: Fever, Cough and Shortness of Breath, you are encouraged to call the dedicated hotline at 307-672-1004. Call your healthcare professional if you have concerns about COVID-19 and your underlying condition or if you are sick.

For more information about COVID-19, please visit the hospital website: www.sheridanhospital.org. There is also a link on the site for COVID-19 Tech Resources from the Centers for Disease Control to help you make decisions and seek appropriate medical care.

Meanwhile, and for all of us, the most helpful thing we all can do is stay at home and follow the guidance set out by the Wyoming Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control. Much of the information in this column has been gleaned from these sources.

The more we follow these guidelines, the easier our job will be — fewer people will get sick, need hospitalization, or risk death.

Note from The Press: My Bighorns, our free app, has a dedicated section with this page and more, so you can access the latest updates easily on your smartphone or tablet. Download from the Apple Store or Google Play.

About The Sheridan Press
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