Tag Archives: covid 19

Are You Buying A 2021 Planner?

I apologize for being MIA from blogging for the past 3 weeks. I have been feeling the weight of this COVID thing more and more as our COVID cases climb. I work in health care so there is no escaping it. COVID is pretty much in my face for 8 hours a day.

With that being said, I did stop to browse in the planner section the other day for a 2021 Planner. I went to my favorite store, usual section, only to find 5 bland pocket planners. Nothing even remotely close to my fabulous 2020 Planner which I bought last fall. Are people not buying 2021 Planners? I glanced up at when I got outside. The sky looked gray and I could feel its heavy weight again.

I returned home and began scrolling on FacebooK which is never a good idea. Did you know it’s actually called “doom scrolling” and is kind of an obsessive-compulsive thing? I have to stop doing that but that’s another topic. This time though I stumbled across a gem that gave me a glimmer of hope for my life returning to normal. It was a video clip from the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (I love that place) about up and coming COVID vaccines: https://www.facebook.com/uihealthcare/videos/264438048227416

I took the time to watch the video in its entirety and came around to see a glimmer of a new reality. One is that, yes, it is looking like several COVID vaccines will be coming up for approval by the FDA in a month or two. Once the vaccine studies are thoroughly combed through again by the FDA scientists, they will be ready for release–maybe winter/early spring for frontline workers and “at risk” folks. Maybe, fingers crossed, by late spring/early summer they will be ready for the general public.

The vaccine trial which the University of Iowa is involved in is looking good. It generates a great immune response from the body, even in the elderly. It is hands down a better immune response than you would get from having the disease itself. Studies have not yet been done on COVID vaccines in kids that I am aware of. The University of Iowa vaccine will give you a sore arm after receiving the vaccine and it will likely have you feeling a bit under the weather–kind of like after you get a shingrix (shingles) vaccine but a bit worse. (Um, please tell me you know that the shingrix vaccine can pretty much prevent shingles and that if you are over 50 years old you have had the shingrix 2 dose vaccine?) This particular vaccine requires two doses given about a month apart.

A word about “herd immunity.” Not a good plan as you need to get 60-70% of the population to have been infected (or vaccinated) and we are at about 10% currently. Having COVID does not generate a very good immune response so you could be reinfected. I personally think trying to achieve herd immunity would be insane and would not look good for the home team if you know what I mean.

So, yes! I am shopping online for fabulous 2021 Planner. I have not signed up for vacation at work until late spring and then (I may have to eat my words later but…) I plan to get my life groove back. Snuggle with my kids and grandkids, travel around a bit, hug my friends, and, eventually unmask. We are 7 months into this thing and we can do another 7 months.

Thanks for reading the Platinum Muse! Keep rolling forward folks. Set goals, and yes, buy a 2021 Planner!

Living in the Space Between the Earthquake and the Tsunami.

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Coronavirus, or COVID 19 as it is sometimes called. I never thought I would be writing about this when I started my health and wellness blog back in January 2020. Coronavirus, “Originated in bats, then jumped to an intermediary species — most likely pagolins, pigs, or civets — that passed it to people,” according to Business Insider. On New Year’s Eve 2019, Chinese Health officials informed the World Health Organization about a group of 41 patients with a unique type of pneumonia. Most were associated with the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in the city of Wuhan, China. It is likely that the virus started spreading as early as November 2019. To date there are 1,258,198 know cases worldwide of COVID 19. From zero to over a million in less than 4 months–all around the world. That’s scary and we are in a world of hurt.

It’s likely, from the numbers that I have seen, that this week or more likely next week we will be heading straight in to the thick of it. At least where I live in rural northern Wisconsin. As a nurse, it’s like living in the space between the earthquake and the tsunami. Maybe it will manifest as a wave running along the shoreline, or, maybe it is going to sweep over us and take away parts of our lives as we know them changing us forever. I’m finding my inner peace these days in sunsets, birds singing, and spring flowers blooming. I can feel myself turning inward, mustering strength. And, I know that life will go on after COVID 19.

I pray for each of you and for this broken world to heal. May we hug longer, squeeze tighter, and say “I love you” more now and after this pandemic has passed over us. May we come out of this stronger and more resilient. May we slow down and live in the moment from now on, treasuring sunrises and sunsets, the smell of a fresh rainfall, the bright blue color of the sky. Hold on tight, drive hard and head straight into this thing. Let us glean whatever life lessons we can from this as it rolls over us. Make your best decisions. Stay strong. Stay focused.

“At some point, everything’s gonna go south on you…everything’s going to go south and you’re going to say, this is it. This is how I end. Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work.. That’s all it is. You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem…and you solve the next one…and then the next. And if you solve enough problems, you get to come home.” –Mark Watney as played by Matt Damon in the movie The Martian”

The Skinny on Hand Washing in Public Restrooms

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Have you ever gone into a public restroom, looked around to observe how clean it is, and then wondered if you are farther ahead washing your hands or not washing your hands? To be honest, sometimes I am not sure! I will share a few tips with you which I have picked up over the years as a registered nurse. I am assuming that you have already flushed the toilet with your foot, correct?

First of all, yes, wash those hands! Especially now that we are in the midst of the flu season and the COVID 19 spread! Wet your hands, soap up, and wash through two of your favorite renditions of “Happy Birthday.” Friction is your friend and the viruses enemy. Wash the tops of your hands too and don’t forget between the fingers! Rinse under running water with the water running down off your fingertips and down the drain. Grab your paper towel next and dry them off. Don’t shake them and send germs flying everywhere! Use your towel to turn off the faucet and again to open the door. Then, with the door open, toss the paper towel in the garbage. If the garbage is on the other side of the bathroom then throw the paper towel on the floor and shame on them!

Thank you for spending a few minutes of your time with me! Until next time, stay healthy Platinum Muse readers!