This International Women’s Day who are you appreciating?
I am very fortunate to be surrounded by some great female mentors and colleagues at work. This is Annie, she is the head receptionist at Southport Metro Medical, a real credit to her profession offering all patients a friendly welcome. She always makes sure my clinic runs smoothly and in the midst of Chinatown she’s also a great help with translating.
Be sure to pop by and say hello 👋. Wishing you all a great day.
Looking for toilet paper? 🧻💩 Whilst toilet paper is very important, there are measures we should all be practising to stop coronavirus propagating.
If we all practice regular thorough hand hygiene and stay at least 1 meter away from anyone that is coughing and sneezing we can halt its reproduction. Similarly, as we enter the colder months, if you have symptoms of a cold, practice good hygiene and dispose of tissues regularly.
Summer Dreaming ☀️ With autumn settling in, long summer nights are soon to be replaced with rain and summer holiday getaways are soon to be forgotten with the cooler climates.
This can, for a number of Australians lead to a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), whereby, some people experience symptoms of low mood, lack of energy, sleeping excessively or feeling tired all the time.
If you or someone you know are affected, help is out there in the form of light therapy, psychological therapies or in other cases medication. For more information be sure to pop by for a consult.
Recent guidelines from the World Health Organisation have suggested that we should all carry out strict hand hygiene. This means washing your hands with soap and water thoroughly for at least 30 seconds. Hard surfaces such as door handles, shopping baskets and even mobile phone screens harbour bacteria and viruses which can easily spread from one person to another propagating the virus.
Secondly, it has been suggested that we maintain a distance of at least 1 meter from anyone close by that could be coughing or sneezing. This is because when we sneeze, air droplets travel at a speed of around 100mph.
Thirdly, the WHO, NIOSH, FDA and CDC have all suggested that N95/P2 masks should be worn by those who are directly treating or managing suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases or if you yourself has symptoms of coronavirus.
Due to the worldwide shortage of masks, the CDC have recommended that the N95 masks can be used for up to 8 hours as long as they are not soiled, damp or wet as this can reduce the efficacy of the mask.
One of the commonest questions I am asked is whether these masks are reusable. These particular masks are disposable and after being worn they should be disposed in a closed bin and hands should be washed thoroughly. Similarly, it is not possible to wash the masks as they will loose their integrity.
If you are unable to get your hands on a mask and are concerned, then the CDC does recommend other masks such as; N99, N100, P95, P99, P100, R95 and R99. These are at least or more effective than the N95.
There are other larger and bulkier masks that are reusable, but do require disinfecting after use. They too come with filters varying from 95-99%. Such masks include - Elastometric Halt Face respirator and Powered Air Purifying Respirator (full face).
President Of America, Donald Trump recently had a meeting with the major pharmaceutical companies of the world and they have advised that they are currently working on a vaccine which will undergo human tests in April with a roll out of a vaccine by the end of the year.
The most important take away point from this video is to practice good habits with regular thorough hand hygiene. With this, we can stop the propagation of this virus.
As a general practitioner, a lot of collaboration with other health professionals goes on behind the scenes. From speaking to the local pharmacist about which is the best medication to offer you, to speaking with hospital specialists about referrals and management plans.
Whilst it can be time consuming on a busy day, I believe it is an important part of the job to provide you with the most comprehensive medical care helping you to achieve your health goals.
To book an appointment or to find out more head over to drnora.com
