Being Prepared

Many consultants have headaches and nausea when they deal with stress and emotion. There are also times when there is nothing they can do, for example, provide beds, masks, and other needed supplies.

A psychological consultant advises that you should be aware of yourself, and distinguish which emotions are yours, which are the patients, and which are your empathy.

Consider unexpected risks associated with the response to the outbreak, for example, poor mental health that is related to social isolation. Steps to take into account:

• Staying connected with your social and family networks via technology
• Keeping your daily routines as much as possible
• Exercising regularly and practicing habits that you enjoy and find relaxing
• Seeking practical, credible information at specific times of the day.

• The original use of the word Quarantine was the act of anchoring a ship arrived in Venice, Italy, for 40 days before landing.
• Infectiousness of any disease is measured by the reproduction number (R0, or R naught). For example, Smallpox has an R0 of 6 whereas Measles has an R0 of 16. 
• Vaccination, if available, and herd immunity can curb the spread of disease.
• Big cities, with exploding population and traffic, can lead to the rapid spread of any infectious disease.

Contagion's subplots is about one man’s manipulation (Alan Krumwiede) of a climate of fear in order to make money. But it’s also about the way that the social conditions of the pandemic create an opening for the him o rise.
He spreads misinformation in service of selling a homeopathic “cure"; he pretends to be sick and takes the so called cure, to prove that it works.

It has become clear that the parts of the movie Contagion that probably mattered most have taught us nothing.
Compared to a single blogger selling a “cure,” the misinformation (fake cures, conspiracies, etc.) we’re facing today is far worse.

• Cloth masks, which are reusable and washable, offer no real protection while being potentially harmful in case there is any moisture retention or dirt in them due to their being reused.
• It is a good practice to wear a mask all the time, especially if you have any respiratory illness.
• It is advisable to be careful while removing your mask, as a mere touch of your hands on the front of the mask can contaminate it.
• It is also advisable not to touch your face or nose too much.
• Constantly and frequently wash your hands, all year round, and get a flu shot, as it is flu season. While a flu shot is not a protection against the virus, it is still advisable to get one.

• The pandemic is influencing and changing the way we define a community, with people across the world gathering every day on balconies to applaud medical workers, perform music and even run marathons.
• Millions of single people stuck indoors have turned to the internet to go on virtual yoga dates, attend karaoke parties or blow out candles at WhatsApp birthday get-togethers.

Lockdowns around the globe are giving rise to a new togetherness for some and amplifying friction and conflict for others.
The external global context makes you realize that life is short. So if someone is in a bad relationship, they're probably going to decide to leave while they still can. Or the total opposite, decide that they might as well get married and have kids.

Venting our fears and concerns with others can reduce their intensity. Others may provide support and care and soother our negative feelings. We can do the same in turn for them.

We learn we are not alone and may learn how others cope with their frustration and fear, which can help us adopt those methods.

Venting should not become a habit as it won't fix the problem. When to stop negative emotions:

• When venting becomes the main coping style cause delays in adaptive action.
• When sharing with others stresses them.
• When you don't feel better, and one or both of you feel worse.
• Young children are not there to listen to our problems, and their job is not to soothe us.
• Talk to your doctor if you experience signs of clinical depression (depressed mood, low energy, poor or increased appetite, insomnia, and poor concentration).

If you are experiencing chest tightness or shortness of breath now, ask yourself first:

• Are you someone with a history of anxiety, especially if it is tied to health concerns?
• If yes, did your symptoms show up while reading news about the virus?
• Do you find it hard to focus on other things?

Paying too much attention is called hypervigilance and body scanning. It is associated with anxiety.

The brain is very powerful. We can see a positive pregnancy test and immediately develop morning sickness. Anxious people can read about the shortness of breath and instantly develop it.

However, shortness of breath is also tied to the way anxious people breathe. Anxious people breathe fast and too shallow. They blow off too much CO2, which makes them feel dizzy and makes their chest feel tight.

To alleviate the symptoms, breathe in slowly through your nose, count to four seconds, and then breathe out slowly through pursed lips. It will normalize your CO2 levels.

It's possible to be completely isolated and feel invigorated.

It is also possible to be surrounded by a crowd or be accompanied by close friends and feel lonely.

• Research showed that after social isolation, subjects' brain scans showed more activity in the midbrain when shown pictures of social cues.
• When subjects were hungry but had not been socially isolated, they showed a similar reaction to food cues, but not social ones. This shows that the drive for social contact and for things like food seems to be represented in a similar way.

Everybody seems worried that, during the ongoing pandemic, they will gain weight. 

However, a recent review has shown that individuals tend to gain the weight back after a diet in less than five years, even during regular times. Therefore, quarantine or not, you should pay attention to your eating habits, if you want to have a certain weight.

While quarantined at home, we all have the tendency to eat foods that trigger that feeling of safety and happiness, that only by consuming these vary foods we can experience. 

As nice as this idea might sound, you should also try sleeping or spending virtual time with your friends, as these can work wonders as well.