EP05: Coronavirus and Older Adults

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s the best time to discuss coronavirus as the whole world is practically affected by it. And as you may have heard from the news, older adults are more susceptible to the virus. In this episode, we will share with you some of the best practices and how we can protect ourselves, most especially the elderly. </span></p> <p><strong>Part One of Coronavirus and Older Adults </strong></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the Common Symptoms of Coronavirus? </span></em></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Coughing </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Shortness of Breath   </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fever – A fever in an adult aged 65 and older means having a temperature of 99.6</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">°</span><span style= "font-weight: 400;">F (for younger adults, a temperature of 100.4</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">°</span><span style= "font-weight: 400;">F is considered a fever). </span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One thing to keep in mind is that older adults may not have a high fever but will have other symptoms that make them feel or act like they are “not right”. In geriatrics, this is called an atypical presentation of illness. What you may see are things like a change in their ability to think, a change in their ability to do things, not eating, feeling very tired, or falling. If an older adult has these symptoms plus a cough or trouble breathing, please call your health care provider immediately whether the person has a “fever” or not.</span></p> <p><strong><em>“Treat the symptoms of coronavirus if they develop. Antiboitics are not given for viral illnesses” — Melissa Batchelor (00:19 - 00:23)</em></strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A lot of people were asking if antibiotics will work. The answer is NO. Again, coronavirus is a virus. Taking antibiotics will not make you any better from