Work On Your Pandemic Recovery

By Lisa Benton, MD, MPH

Most recently, the overall unemployment rate for people ages 16 and older is 6.5%, and even lower for whites at 5.8%. Despite news that the unemployment rate is falling and trending toward pre-pandemic shutdown numbers, the numbers remain higher for Black, Latinx, and Asian Americans.

Disparity and inequity in all sectors of the job market is made plain when the numbers are analyzed to show that the rates are higher for people of color. It’s 9.9% for Blacks, 8.7% for Latinx, and 6.7% for Asians, reminding us that recovery in our communities lags the optimistic outlook that others may be talking about, and a lot more work needs to be done on many levels to revitalize the economy.

For women, and particularly women of color, the pandemic driven recession continues to be hitting us even harder, has been and will continue to be devastating. Women have been leaving the paid workforce in greater numbers to provide childcare, eldercare and homeschooling, and losing income. Even though we’re working harder, our earnings and equity are decreasing. Because of this, it is that much more important to make time to keep your physical, mental, and spiritual health together.

Even though we’re hearing for the first time in months that hospitalizations due to Covid and its complications may be leveling off, don’t let your guard down. Covid still continues to be the thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

The complications of Covid on the heart, lung and brain are still happening with a vengeance. We’re seeing many hospitalizations for blood clots in the lung and brain as well as irregular heartbeats, rhythms, and heart attacks. Many people getting a second pneumonia on top of and after Covid causing further respiratory problems and need for extra oxygen. People also are reporting hair falling out, memory loss, ongoing abnormal tiredness, and losing their senses of taste and smell due to Covid. While many of the Covid complications happen if you have risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, lung, heart, and kidney problems, you can still be in top shape and have Covid, or a complication of it that can kill you.

Even with a little optimism as we wait for the vaccines, stay on top of your health and be proactive. Wearing a double mask will give an extra barrier of protection. Continue to keep safe distances (2 shopping cart lengths) apart and wash your hands with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer regularly.

Consider getting a finger pulse oximeter (about $25 at Walmart, Amazon, Walgreens). This will measure minute to minute if you are getting enough oxygen. More importantly, it can warn you if you’re getting short of breath when moving around or sitting still before you feel it. It will detect that very early signs of Covid, pneumonia and other lung problems.

Studies have shown that the pulse oximeter measurement will drop even before you start to show other signs of a Covid infection. Doctors have been sending patients home from the emergency room and hospital to monitor themselves. A normal pulse oximetry reading is near 100%, and if it drops into the low 90’s and high 80s you should get help or check in with an advice nurse.

Check with you doctor about whether you need to take a baby aspirin daily or need a vitamin D supplement beyond your regular diet. As African Americans we are often vitamin D deficient especially during the winter months when there is less sunshine and daylight.

Continue to make sure you’re getting your daily recommended allowances of vitamin C, zinc. Stay hydrated by drinking water and increasing fruits and vegetables in your diet. Try to get enough sleep and again, check with your doctor to see if it’s alright for you to take melatonin. Researchers are still looking to see if helps, but there are a few reports out that maybe melatonin does have benefits.

Just as important to staying healthy is working to reduce you stress and increase your peace. Connecting for your mental health matters just as much as taking care of your physical body.

Regular prayer, meditation and turning off negative news and social media are activities that will do wonders for you. Cutting off your phone, radio, and television at least one hour before bedtime will help you rest better and give you more time to focus on yourself in that much needed “me time” that everyone is after.

Adding exercise which can be as simple as walking, deep breathing, and gentle stretching for 15-minute intervals during your day and before bedtime, will help you relax, calm down, reduce your anxiety, improve your mood. It will help get you ready and keep you in your right mind to face tomorrow and the day after that.

See A Little More

How Earlier Covid Diagnosis and Treatment Saves Lives, retrieved from: https://www.pbs. org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/ how-earlier-covid-diagnosis-and-treatmentsaves-lives

Working women are still being disproportionately hurt by the pandemic recession. by Juliana Kaplan and Madison Hoff. 1/31/21. Retrieved from: https:// www.businessinsider.com/women-are-stilldisproportionately-hurt-by-the-pandemicrecession-2021-1

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/ cpsee_e16.htm

Lisa D. Benton, MD, MPH (The Doctor is In) breastsurgeonlb@gmail.com, Twitter:@ DctrLisa (415) 746-0627