The pandemic struck with no one knowing how to address it. It featured a never-before-seen virus—the coronavirus—and a previously seen outbreak, but even in today’s age, no one had any solution for it. All governments could do so far is to create measures to contain the virus within their countries by enforcing social distancing and vaccinating people, a recent occurrence.
Information has proven to be useful during these times. Public health education also helps people know more about the pandemic and be aware of the proper things to do. This covers all people, whether you’re working in an office or you’re a health worker helping patients in facilities that provide hospice and memory care.
Public health emergencies are no laughing matter, especially during a time like this. It pays to be informed of what to do when you’re faced with such a situation under a pandemic. Take a look at these suggestions and see if they’re applicable to your specific scenario.
Be Aware of your Surroundings
The more you know about what’s happening around you, the better. You should take a look and see if there’s something you can do to help your community.
During the pandemic, your community will need all the cooperation and aid it can get from the people living there. You should monitor any signs of problems that you can do something about, as well as help people when they need to be helped.
If you can, you should educate your neighbors, friends, and relatives about things to do during the pandemic. Seek out people who have more knowledge about the situation than you if you need to and share what you learn with others. It looks like a small thing to do, but you can make it go big during the pandemic.
Seek Help about Public Health Problems in your Community
As previously mentioned, there are people who know more about the problems in your community than you do. Seek these people out and see if there’s something you can learn on what to do properly to help in your community.
There are health services and community centers dedicated to spreading information about the virus. If you have the means, help them spread knowledge about the pandemic by seeking them out. Learn as much as you can from them, and make sure the information reaches the right people.
If you can do it, make sure that the people will also actively participate in making your community safer from the virus.
Seek Out Resources to Arm Yourself with Knowledge
The best way you can help during medical emergencies under the pandemic is to be as knowledgeable with facts and figures as you can be.
The facts in question refer to the websites with information for the pandemic. These are the American Public Health Association Website, the Annual Review of Public Health, and the S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.
The information found on these websites should be helpful in knowing what to do when faced with an emergency during these uncertain times.
Knowing When to Do Telehealth and When to Go for a Personal Checkup
During the pandemic, doctors found a way to check on their patients by doing telehealth appointments. Using this method, they can diagnose and treat a patient without having to be in the same room at once. It helps keep to the rule of social distancing while making sure that their patients are treated as soon as they want to be.
There are instances, however, when the patients need to be treated through face-to-face sessions. Knowing when to use telehealth and when to go in person to the doctor’s office is crucial if you’re looking after a patient.
When to Seek Immediate Help
If you’re feeling under the weather and you need to get yourself checked out, there are ways to do this.
You can do a self-diagnosis and see if you need to be brought to the doctor’s office. Usually, some signs that you need to be taken to the hospital include serious symptoms like shortness of breath, having difficulty breathing, or having any sudden ailments that are related to COVID-19 or are serious.
If you have anything that can be treated with home remedies, however, you can usually do a telehealth consultation. This will help you avoid having to be in the same room with people who might be carriers of the coronavirus.
Understanding health emergencies can help a lot, especially during this time when all the healthcare facilities and people are overworked. Make sure to do your part in helping other people be aware of the things they can do, concerning their health during this time.
