Testing Information and Mental Health

TESTING- The bottom line is that the more time we give ourselves before we test for immunity, the more accurate and informative our test will be. You must consider how a false positive or false negative could impact your life. AND you must stay away from any office based test that was shipped directly from overseas. This Mercury News article sums up testing on a current Stanford test that should become available in due time. The article mentions that " ....the Food and Drug Administration approved .... Cellex [which I can offer in 10 days]. There’s also a Mayo Clinic test in the pipeline....Meanwhile, a global effort to study antibodies is being coordinated by the World Health Organization.... more than a half dozen countries will pool their findings from large-scale testing. Once mass-marketed, experts say the test will be easy, cheap and very different from current diagnostic tests, which use throat swabs and an expensive technology called Polymerase Chain Reaction to find genetic evidence of ongoing infection."

Also see the bottom of this mailing to learn more about "IMMUNITY" and what it may and may not mean in the long run.

Stanford law school's presentation on the logistics and errors testing is available here.

OCHCA Reported Numbers

Kids masks: Jaanuu.com and Goldsheep clothing
Make sure you use your N95 correctly!
FAQs on masks
Grocery shopping EXPLAINED! Read this PLEASE!

MENTAL HEALTH

Studies on the effects of quarantines on children (H1N1 and MERS studies) shows that 30% of these children have PTSD. For parents the number is 25%. Children of parents with PTSD are more likely to have PTSD. These numbers are higher than natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.

Suicidal rates on one hotline increased 891% since COVID19 shelter in place.

Please let me know if your children have

sleep disturbances or an altered ability to complete homework.

Parental anxiety and depression are the biggest predisposing risk factors to childhood depression. PLEASE take care of yourselves. IF you have recurring fears that you will die from COVID you need to seek help. Most insurance plans have a very affordable Telepsychiatry as part of your insurance benefits.

For more of the above information AAP CHAPTER MEETING (start at Minute 37 and on).

MENTAL HEALTH TIPS AND RESOURCES

Maintain Routine and Structure in each day
Limit your amount of News and Social Media (kids are paying attention to what you listen to and say)
Eat healthy (less carbs to maintain brain health)
Exercise every day
Get some sunshine every day
Make an in home obstacle course. Relax some of the usual rules- let the kids jump on the bed and couch, etc.
Look for social connections which help with stress and anxiety- try to schedule family chats with extended family
Engage at meal time

Resources:

Are your young kids going stir crazy? Try Cosmic Kids Yoga .

ENCOURAGING NEWS!

Sheryl Morelli, Chief Medical Officer of Seattle Childrens (where the first pediatric case was diagnosed on the west coast), mentioned that over 2000 tested patients at their hospital has lead to only 19 positives! 17 of these patients were mild to moderately ill and cared for at home without complications. There were 2 in isolation beds but both with previous conditions. Only 5 total pediatric hospitalizations at Seattle Childrens hospital to date!

This hospital started universal testing for everyone coming into the hospital on March 23rd. This suggests that pediatric patients are just not getting the infection (which is different than being asymptomatic carriers of the infection).

Here is a NYT article on immunity, written by an epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist. From past studies we cannot be assured that infection promises long term immunity: " neutralizing ability of these antibodies — a measure of how well they inhibit virus replication — was already declining during the study periods."

THANK YOU!!

Lauren Hillary Photo Credit

You have all made the formidable task of keeping doors open so rewarding for Alex and I. We appreciate you more than you may know.

For a social media post I struggled with a request to explain what it means to me to be an essential worker. After contemplation over the course of a week I realized how grateful I was for all of you. My formal answer which is on Lauren Hillary's instagram account is this:

"I went into this profession with an inherent desire to help people. So today, as I write what it means to me to be an essential business, I do so with honor and a sense of purpose. The dedication and hard work from nurses, medical assistants and doctors is being noticed. I believe that when the community says the practice of medicine is "essential," then our community is saying we will do our part (by staying home) as well as support you as do your part. The label "essential" does not change anything in my physical day to day activities; but I would be dishonest if I didn't admit that it gives me the strength to say goodbye to my own family everyday, mask up and help the other families who trust me and need me as well.”

“I truly feel that this time in history is changing all of us for the better. I am learning that my patients are happy to support me as I try to balance work and family.

Now more than ever I see that my patients want the best for me just as I want the best for them. I now realize that my patients are my village. All I have ever given to them is coming back in different ways.

I am hearing their appreciation for my services more than ever before. There has been such tremendous respect and space for me to balance my two worlds.”

CHOC'S FAQ PAGE CLICK HERE

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