Little things make a big difference. COVID-19 is too small to be seen by the human eye but it’s brought life to a grinding halt. Work, traffic, restaurants, sports, school, gyms, borders, church, travel, child care… nothing is the same. You know things are bad when Starbucks closes in Seattle!
It’s tempting to let fear set in as we stare up at the mountain of changes in front of us. But what do you do with a mountain? You lace up your hiking boots and go for a hike! It’s an adventure, there’s danger, it’s not always easy, but by taking one step at a time one day you’ll look back and see the mountain behind you. And just like any good hike, there are plenty of little things to experience along the way.
Families are spending more time together. Elderly family members are picking up the phone calls they’ve been waiting for, board games are being dusted off, parents are getting creative with school at home. I think the virus was named “Novel Coronavirus” because of all the extra time for books! Seriously though, the upside of life slowing down is we have time to reconnect with those we love most.
But not everyone can stay home from work, and on that note we want to let you know that our office will continue to be open. We are taking every precaution to make sure our patients stay healthy. There will never be more than one or two patients in the waiting area at a time, all common surfaces are being regularly cleaned throughout the day with hands washed and tables cleaned between each patient.
If you are feeling well, please know that you have a safe place to get help with your back and neck pain. If you have a fever, particularly with shortness of breath and a cough please stay at home except to get medical care.
Nasal and sinus congestion are more indicative of seasonal allergies so don’t let that scare you! Less than 5% of Coronavirus patients have a runny nose or congestion so don’t let that scare you. More information can be found at Washington State’s Department of Health website here: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus
Take good care of yourself and each other out there.
We’ll get through this!
Dr. Penner and the Team