How to Sail through the Coronavirus Pandemic — Safely!

Is coronavirus (or COVID-19) leaving you terrified? If so, then please allow me to share some information that I hope will ease your fears.

Let's Start With Some Perspective

• Far more people die each year from heart attacks and strokes, malaria, or even hepatitis, then coronavirus.
• 60,000 Americans die each year from the run-of-the-mill flu. So even with the fatalities this disease may bring, it's still only about twice that of the regular flu bug. Yes it's a big number,  but relatively not one that should make you panic.
• Though some children have tested positive for it, it seems so far that it affects them no worse than the regular flu, which we go through every year. So take precautions for your kids, but don't be consumed with worry over them.
• The vast majority of people who get coronavirus experience symptoms no worse than the flu or other colds.

Of course I'm not denying that it can be dangerous. If the condition worsens to an extreme, as it does in a small percent of cases, it can trigger "shock lung," which requires treatment in an intensive unit care unit and possibly time on a ventilator. Unfortunately our healthcare system can only handle so many people at one time. So social distancing — which is an excellent and proving to be effective idea —  is meant to spread the disease over more months, thereby reducing the number of sick hitting hospitals all at once ("flattening the curve" as they say).

I've put together some helpful information about coronavirus at my Kona Research Center website — some advice on how to help avoid it and some tips on managing it if you get it. I'm also maintaining a FAQ page there and I provide a form you can use to send me questions.

See Dr. T's Coronavirus Advice »