Category: Social Distancing

Simple Reasons Why Wearing a Mask Works

Despite the mixed messages, we should all wear masks because they have been scientifically shown to help slow the spread of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19.

Simple Reasons Why Wearing a Mask Works

For Americans who don’t work in healthcare, wearing a mask is a relatively new concept. Since the early days of the pandemic, there has been quite a bit of confusion about whether masks are effective. Despite the mixed messaging, we should all wear masks because they have been scientifically shown to help slow the spread of respiratory diseases like COVID-19.
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How Respiratory Disease Spreads

When a person sneezes, coughs, sings, shouts, or talks at a normal volume, they expel and project droplets of moisture from their mouths and noses. (Check out this high-speed video experiment to see it in action.) If a person is infected with coronavirus (or any type of respiratory virus), they’ll expel the virus along with the droplets. If anyone inhales those particles or gets them in their eyes, then they could catch the virus, too.

Why Masks Work

Like putting a shield over your mouth and nose, masks help block the aspirated droplets of virus that could be projected from our mouths and noses. Think of the difference between driving a car with or without a windshield. Similar to the way your car’s windshield catches all the bugs before they splat onto your face, a mask blocks droplets of saliva and mucus before they splat onto anyone else’s face.

Do Masks Protect the Person Wearing Them?

When wearing a mask, you’ll lower your risk of potentially inhaling virus particles, but you could still be exposed to viruses through the membranes in your eyes. To create a low-risk environment for everyone, it’s important for us all to wear masks.

Wear a Mask to Help Slow the Spread and Reduce the Risk of COVID-19

Since people with COVID-19 don’t always have symptoms, it’s not obvious who’s sick and should actually be wearing a mask to protect the people around them. As a result, masks most effectively slow the spread of coronavirus when more people wear them – even those who have no signs of illness – because symptomatic or asymptomatic anyone could potentially be spreading the disease.
Wearing masks works best when more people do it, and there’s plenty of scientific research that demonstrates this point. One study showed that mask mandates slowed the growth rates of COVID-19. Another found that populations with existing societal norms of wearing masks had lower COVID-19 mortality rates.
However you look at it, it’s clear that populations that wear masks slow the spread of respiratory viruses. Our healthcare professionals at Gulf Coast Health Center strongly urge you to adopt the practice of wearing a mask. To learn more about slowing the spread of COVID-19 and the most effective types of face coverings, we welcome you to contact your healthcare provider today.

Healthy Habits to Protect Yourself from COVID-19

With a healthy mind and body and smart sanitary practices, you can keep yourself and your family safe and healthy. Take these precautions to protect yourself from COVID-19.

Healthy Habits to Protect Yourself from COVID-19

When novel coronavirus is spreading like wildfire through Texas, take precautions to protect yourself from COVID-19. Practicing healthy habits and keeping your body strong will help keep you safe during the pandemic. With a healthy mind and body and smart sanitary practices, you can keep yourself and your family safe and healthy.

Bolster Your Immune System Against COVID-19

To boost your immune system, eat a well-rounded diet of highly nutritious foods. Try to fill each of your meals and snacks with lean proteins and fruits and vegetables in every color of the rainbow. In addition, it’s important to get enough quality sleep because the efficacy of your body’s immune response depends on a well-rested body.

Get a Healthy Mind, Healthy Body During the Pandemic

Weight, fitness, and cardiovascular health are major factors that determine the severity of COVID-19 in different individuals. Getting your body into shape with aerobic exercise is a great way to manage weight, increase lung capacity, and strengthen your lungs and heart. Plus, exercise releases feel-good endorphins that’ll help you stay happy and reduce the excess stress brought on by living through such a difficult time.
Respiratory health is essential for fighting off COVID-19. If you’re a smoker, quit now to reduce your risk of severe illness.

Limit Your Exposure to the Novel Coronavirus by Practicing Social Distancing

Remember that, when it comes to COVID-19, not everyone who’s contagious has symptoms. So, it’s important to practice social or physical distancing. Before deciding whether it’s safe to attend a group gathering or to spend time indoors with people outside of your family, assess the potential risk of the event or gathering you’re considering attending.
If you must be around other people, protect yourself and your family from COVID-19 by wearing a mask and staying at least six feet apart from others at all times. Limit your exposure to potentially infected people by practicing the social distancing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Use Smart Sanitary Practices to Keep Your Body and Your Environment Germ-Free

Don’t touch your face. Wash your hands after going anywhere public, before preparing food, before eating, after interacting with animals, and after using the restroom. If you don’t have access to a sink, use a safe hand sanitizer to disinfect your hands until soap and water are available. Use an EPA-approved disinfectant to sanitize your home and work environment, focusing on high-traffic and high-touch areas.

Learn More about Novel Coronavirus, Testing, and What You Can Do to Stay Safe

To learn more about COVID-19, testing centers near you, and keep your body strong and healthy, we welcome you to contact a Gulf Coast Health Center location near you.

Staying Healthy and Stopping the Spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Novel Coronavirus, officially called COVID-19, has arrived in Texas (track the state’s up-to-date case count by county here). With the spread of the highly contagious disease in our state, Gulf Coast Health Center wants to do everything we can to help keep our communities safe and healthy by raising awareness and preventing further transmission of this virus

Staying Healthy and Stopping the Spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Novel Coronavirus, officially called COVID-19, has arrived in Texas (track the state’s up-to-date case count by county here). With the spread of the highly contagious disease in our state, Gulf Coast Health Center wants to do everything we can to help keep our communities safe and healthy by raising awareness and preventing further transmission of this virus. Whether you’re part of an at-risk group or not, the best way to keep yourself, your loved ones, your neighbors, and people who are at a high-risk safe from COVID-19 is to educate yourself on the facts about the novel Coronavirus.

How Does Coronavirus Spread?

COVID-19 is transmitted through exposure to respiratory droplets deposited into the air from sneezing or coughing. It can also spread as a result of touching contaminated surfaces.

Tips for Preventing the Spread of COVID-19

Basic preventative measures against novel Coronavirus include:
  • Frequent hand washing
  • Social distancing
  • Not touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
  • Covering coughs and sneezes
  • Wearing a mask when you are sick
  • Disinfecting frequently used or touched surfaces

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of COVID-19?

  • Patients with COVID-19 report:
  • Mild to severe respiratory illness
  • Dry cough
  • Fever
  • Shortness of breath

Who Is at the Highest Risk Due to Coronavirus?

The following groups are at an elevated risk of developing serious illness after contracting COVID-19:
Adults over 65
People with medical issues such as:
  • Lung disease and respiratory problems
  • Heart disease or high blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Cancer
  • Weakened immune system

What to Do If You Are Sick

Coronavirus symptoms can develop 2 to 14 days after exposure. If you suspect you have contracted COVID-19, follow the CDC’s recommendations, which include staying at home, monitoring symptoms, avoiding contact with pets and people, wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, and sterilizing surfaces. If you are a high-risk individual, call your doctor’s office right away for instruction. This will allow them to provide you with care without putting others at risk of exposure. If you have any emergency symptoms such as struggling to breathe, persistent chest pain, new confusion, or bluish lips, seek emergency care immediately. If you are generally healthy and not a high-risk case, then it’s best to remain at home, stay hydrated, and care for yourself, as you would when suffering from influenza or a cold virus. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone who has been diagnosed, please call Gulf Coast Health Center or your nearest emergency room as soon as possible. We will provide you with instructions for receiving care without putting others at risk. If you have any other concerns, we welcome you to contact any of our five clinics.