JOURNAL
Can exercise help prevent Covid-19?
The COVID-19 pandemic has made many of us appreciate long runs, hiking, and exercising outdoors more than ever before. As we all deal with abnormal amounts of stress and anxiety, more individuals are leaning on exercise to cope with these feelings during such an unusual time. Health experts often discuss the impact that regular exercise has on our overall quality of life. But is it an effective COVID-19 prevention strategy?
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, no scientific data currently exists on the relationship between exercise and its impact on coronaviruses. Still, there is evidence that exercise can protect individuals from other viral infections. Each exercise session mobilizes immune cells that recognize and kill virus-infected cells through recirculation and releases proteins that can help maintain immunity. This means that individuals who exercise regularly are often more resistant to infections and recover quickly if they become infected with a virus (Simpson, 2020).
Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke via Kaiser Permanente
Parts of Northern California are currently experiencing poor air quality due to fires throughout our region. Smoke from wildfires creates unhealthy air. Everyone should follow basic precautions to stay healthy. People who have respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD need to be extra careful.
Why is wearing a face-mask so political?
Yesterday, a good friend of mine posted a passionate video of a woman on Facebook defending her choice not to wear a mask in public places. And I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Still, I decided not to post a personal response. Instead, I posted this video created by the University of Michigan School of Public Health explaining how all of the public health measures recommended by experts makes an impact on stopping the spread of COVID-19. Other individuals who responded were not entirely objective and were shockingly more political, which made me wonder how wearing face masks become a political debate in America? And, is it just as simple as Democrats support wearing masks but Republicans do not?
In early June, the Pew Research Center conducted a poll on American's face mask-wearing behavior. The survey discovered that mask-wearing is indeed becoming a partisan issue. Democrats are more likely to say they wore a mask all or most of the time in the past month (76% vs. 53%) (Igielnik, 2020). While only 49% of conservative Republicans have reported wearing a mask all or most of the time in the past month – 49% compared with 60% of moderate Republicans (Igielnik, 2020).
Support Services: If you are experiencing personal strain or other challenges during this pandemic.
We’re in this together. Below is a list of support services from Kaiser Permanente California.
The services below are also available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help you.
Helpful tips to support the movement safely.
When our son was an infant, my husband and I chose a childcare center that was both income and racially diverse. We were aware of our privileges, and we wanted to ensure his formative years involved positive experiences with classmates with different backgrounds. However, when we moved, those options in our small Indiana town for elementary school are virtually nonexistent. In Indiana, 83.59% White, 9.33% Black, 2.18% Asian, and 2.45% two or more races. While we continue to have conversations at home, I know it's not enough to undo the systemic racist messages he undoubtedly encounters through American culture.
I knew that as the Black Lives Matters protests began to sweep our nation, I was going to take him to one. However, as someone who closely follows the public health industry, I was also aware of the risk. I wanted the choice to be easy, but honestly, I wrestled with my decision for days and even minutes before we left for the protest. While contemplating how to enrage my son beyond conversation, I started researching ways to protest with children safely. Below is a summary of what I found, as well as a few tips I picked up from our experience.
The remedy for a great night's sleep may be hiding in your kitchen.
The remedy for a great night's sleep may be hiding in your kitchen.
If you are experiencing sleepless nights, you are not alone. According to the CDC, more folks are having difficulty sleeping, which may affect your health. Sleeplessness has been linked to chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression. As noted by Kaiser Permanente, there are tricks to a better night’s sleep, and they may be hiding in your kitchen.
Easy tips on how to stay active while working from home. via Kaiser Permanente
Here are some tips that can help:
If possible, work at a standing desk. If you don’t have one available to use at home, try standing more throughout the day — for example, when you’re eating lunch, talking on the phone, or teleconferencing.
Even if you can’t go far, getting up and walk around a bit every hour. Consider setting the alarm to remind yourself to move regularly during the workday. Just taking the time to walk through each room of your home can help.
At night, instead of sinking into the couch to watch television, use an exercise ball to get some extra movement in for the day.
Give yourself credit for the steps you take during the day. If you set realistic goals, wearing an activity tracker to measure your progress might make sense. If you start standing and moving around your home more, you’ll see your activity level rise.
Racial injustice and Black Out Tuesday
"Racial injustice remains prevalent in our society. Okologie stands in solidarity with the Black community against all forms of racism and violence. We stand for change and for the relentless pursuit of justice. We stand for equity and inclusion. Today we'll pause our social media to reflect on ways to support the Black community."
An update for Our Community Regarding COVID-19
Now more than ever, we believe in the power of community. Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by COVID-19.
As you know, the situation is still evolving, and Okologie.org will remain focused on healthy living through public health education by continuing to update you online and social media accounts with accurate information and facts from trusted experts, and about measures we can take to keep ourselves and our families healthy.
These are stressful times for all of us. Social distancing impacts how people gather in our communities and the world; we have felt the pain and disruption it’s caused. While social distancing is vital to slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep our communities safe, we know it will leave a void in our day-to-day lives.
So, therefore, Okologie.org will focus on the inspiring stories of how so many of you around the Bay Area and the world are connecting in ways big and small to lift all of us. We are all in this together, and as a community, we can help each other through this course by treating each other with compassion, understanding, and build a digital neighborhood that feels safe for all of us.
An Important Note Regarding COVID-19 From UBER's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi
Helping affected drivers and delivery people
Any driver or a delivery person who is diagnosed with COVID-19 or is individually asked for self-isolate by a public health authority will receive financial assistance for up to 14 days while their account is on hold. We’ve already helped drivers in some affected areas, and we’re working to quickly implement this worldwide.
Giving you options for food delivery
We understand that you may be relying more on food delivery right now. If you prefer, you can leave a note in the Uber Eats app to ask your delivery person to leave your food at the door.