Lupus and COVID-19

By now, you’ve witnessed the pandemonium, either on TV or with your own two eyes. COVID-19 has turned a great portion of the population into toilet paper hoarding zombies who are ready to draw weapons over the last bottle of hand sanitizer.

 

I went grocery shopping last night to pick up a few things that we actually need, and it was eerie. Shelves were bare and shopping carts were packed to the brim. I couldn’t buy any chicken, broccoli, or garlic. One of the grocery guys told me that he was completely out of paper towels, but he expected a new shipment the following day. He said this as he stood leaning on the handle of a skid that was seconds away from being plucked clean of the last package of toilet paper.

As we walked up and down the aisles, I spotted a shopping cart with one single package of paper towels in it. I quickly looked around, trying to figure out whether or not the owner of the cart was nearby. Just as quickly as I thought this, I shook my head, attempting to somehow come back to my senses. I was actually considering swiping a package of paper towels from a cart that someone stepped away from momentarily. I continued walking, feeling disappointed in myself that such a thought could even cross my mind. As we continued wandering aimlessly through the grocery store, I pulled out my cellphone and ordered a package of paper towels. It was $18. I felt like I had to…we are one roll away from being paper towel-less.

As someone with an autoimmune disease, there are things that are much more important than gathering all of the TP and Clorox wipes I can get my hands on. I’m concerned about those who cannot go from store to store to find the essentials that they need because someone else got there and bought 10 times more than they needed. I’m concerned for those who are on a fixed income and just want to buy what they need. I’m concerned for people like myself, who have Lupus (or any other autoimmune disease, for that matter,) and are vulnerable to illness and diseases that can be spread.

I’m lucky. I shared my concerns with my boss the other day, and she was more than understanding. She agreed that it might be best for me to work from home for the next few days while we see how things unfold. In the meantime, schools are being shut down, travel is being limited, and hospitals and doctors’ offices are being overwhelmed.

With all of this in mind, I don’t want to find myself in a position where I have gotten sick and have to go to the hospital or the doctor. Just two weeks ago, I was admitted to the hospital with some sort of viral gastritis. Unrelated to the coronavirus, but still a situation where I’m in the hospital, and therefore at risk. If you have Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Chrons, or any other autoimmune disease, there are things that you can do to try and minimize your exposure.

Know Your Symptoms

The first step is actually recognizing some of the symptoms of Coronavirus Disease. Some people may be infected but display no symptoms. Those who do display symptoms may experience the following:

• fever
• dry cough
• fatigue
• body aches
• diarrhea
• runny nose
• sore throat
• congestion

Protect Yourself

Now that you know what some of the symptoms are, you’re going to want to do your best to avoid picking up this illness. Some rules of thumb are:

• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly
• Stay home if you’re sick
• Avoid large/crowded gatherings
• Keep unwashed hands away from your face

There are a lot of questions when it comes to the autoimmune community and wearing face masks. Everything I’ve read says to NOT wear one if you’re not sick. The face masks that you generally see people wearing are not effective when it comes to protecting yourself from COVID19. If you’re sick, however, it may help prevent spreading illness through the droplets that are expelled when you cough or sneeze. If you do think you’re sick, isolate yourself, then contact your doctor or telehealth. They’ll give you instructions on what to do.

While this situation plays out, there are things that we can do.

• Be considerate: don’t buy a whole bunch of things you don’t need
• Keep your germs to yourself by coughing and sneezing into a bent elbow
• Stay home if you’re sick
• Check on your loved ones, especially those who are sick and/or elderly, and make sure that they have everything that they need

Overall, let’s just be good neighbours.