Tag: prevention

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

By Lily H-A

From PHN Issue 45, Winter 2021

There are two COVID-19 vaccines currently being used in the US as of late January. One is made by Pfizer-BioNTech and the other by Moderna. People understandably have a lot of questions about the vaccines and we will try to answer some of them here.

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How Other Health Conditions Interact with COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

By Lily H-A

From PHN Issue 44, Fall 2020

Researchers have found that there are certain factors, including having other health conditions, that make it more likely you will have a severe illness if you catch COVID-19.

Here are some of the factors that seem to go along with more complications from COVID-19. Of course, having these health conditions doesn’t guarantee you’ll definitely get severely ill if you catch COVID-19. And people who are otherwise healthy can still get very ill if they catch COVID-19. The best way to prevent getting severe complications from COVID-19 is to not get it at all, so it’s important to keep practicing social distancing when possible, wearing a face covering, and practicing hand hygiene.

Some of these you can do more about than others. For the ones you can do something about, we’ve included some tips. Eating healthy, being physically active, and quitting smoking can improve or lower your risk of a lot of these health conditions. If you take medications, take them regularly and make sure you have enough refills.

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If You’re Having Symptoms of COVID-19

By Suzy Subways

From PHN Issue 42, Spring 2020

Most people with COVID-19 have no symptoms, or their symptoms are mild. But some have:

  • Cough
  • Fever
  • Tiredness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Difficulty breathing, in severe cases

In an article for Prison Legal News, Michael D. Cohen, M.D., explains that people in prison who are over 50 may be at higher risk for severe symptoms. There is currently no vaccine or cure for COVID-19. Scientists have started testing some possible medicines, but they don’t know if these will work yet. It’s important to ignore rumors and just get health information from reliable sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization.

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How to Protect Yourself and Others from COVID-19

By Lorin Jackson and Frankie Snow

From PHN Issue 42, Spring 2020

Handwashing

Handwashing can help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Here are some tips for handwashing:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Make sure you rub all hand surfaces with soap, including thumbs, fingertips, and backs of hands.
  • Dry with a paper towel if possible, and use that to turn the water off.
  • Always wash your hands before and after eating, and after coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, or being in a crowded area.
  • If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer that contains 70% alcohol or more.
  • It is believed that the virus enters the body through the eyes, nose, or mouth. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
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What’s Up with COVID-19?: Here’s the Scoop

By Lorin Jackson and Frankie Snow

From PHN Issue 42, Spring 2020

As of April 30:

  • There are more than 3.25 million cases confirmed worldwide, with roughly a million incidents of recovery from the disease, and almost a quarter million have died.
  • In the United States, there are about a million cases, with almost 130,000 recovered and more than 60,000 deaths.
  • The United States has more recorded deaths than any other country. One possible reason is that there is not a coordinated national or regional effort to test people and track cases to contain outbreaks.
  • Congregate settings, such as nursing homes, detention centers, prisons/jails, and homeless shelters are extremely vulnerable to massive outbreaks of COVID-19 and account for some of the spikes in cases. This is because it is difficult to properly quarantine and maintain physical distancing in these settings.
  • As of mid-April 2020 in New York City, the NYC Department of Correction said that 369 inmates tested positive out of more than 3,900 in custody at Rikers Island and smaller facilities.
  • As of April 29, more than 70% of people incarcerated in federal prisons who have been tested for COVID-19 had the virus.
  • Chicago’s Cook County Jail is one of the largest and most impacted jails. More than 800 people had tested positive by April 28, and it had one of the highest infection rates in the country. In April, activists held a two-day emergency bailout where more than 130 people were able to leave the jail.
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What is COVID-19?

By Monet Davis and Lorin Jackson

From PHN Issue 42, Spring 2020

All information adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at CDC.gov and the World Health Organization at who.int.

Defining COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 is a disease caused by a virus that was discovered in the Wuhan province of China in February 2019. It is abbreviated as COVID-19 and often referred to as the “coronavirus,” “corona,” or “the ‘rona.” In COVID-19, the ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. The 19 is for the year 2019.

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