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April 29, 2020 by Community Manager 0 Comments

COVID-19 Updates from WHO and NHS

With the deluge of news around the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be difficult to discern the real from the fake, the recent from the outdated. Here is a quick summary of updates from the two trusted sources leading the fight – the World Health Organisation and the NHS. 

WHO’s situation report shows that the COVID-19 illness has taken over quite a few lives – as of April 28, 2020 the coronavirus has affected over 2.8 million people and claimed over 198,000 lives. In the UK, the highly contagious illness has taken over 21,000 lives with daily reports continuing to document new cases and deaths.

Amid the debate and controversy on the UK’s testing targets and the availability of test kits, we also learned that there are now drive-through test centers for healthcare and allied workers. And that the NHS is partnering with several companies in the IT and digital sectors to collect, collate, and analyze information on COVID-19 and be able to diligently and efficiently use resources. A soon-to-be-released contact-tracing app may be able to tell us if we have come into contact with someone that has developed COVID-19 symptoms. A vaccine trial is also underway at Oxford University though it will be a while before we are able to ascertain its effectiveness.

The NHS has also updated its advice for those that think they may have the coronavirus – in order to not inundate the 111 phone line, NHS has created a 111 online service where people can answer a questionnaire about their symptoms – this will serve as a first-line triage and additional advice is offered based on the answers. For those with symptoms, NHS recommends self-isolating for at least 7 days, and for those that have come in contact with someone that has symptoms, they recommend a 14-day isolation period to see if any symptoms develop.

Regardless of the updates around us, it is important to continue to practice social distancing rules, stay indoors, sanitize our hands and common surfaces frequently, and remember to take care of our general health. For any questions related to your health, talk to your GP. Or reach out to us at Gogodoc – an online-video consultation appointment can be booked in as early as an hour and our NHS-certified GPs can offer you expert medical advice on what to do, all over a video consult so you don’t have to leave your house. Now more than ever, be aware, and stay safe.

Book an appointment today!

April 29, 2020 by Community Manager 0 Comments

The CO in COVID – heart-warming stories from around the world

In times of crises, like the one we are in right now, it is easy to get bogged down by all the negative numbers and news. But this is also a time when we can see humanity and solidarity in action – and we’re not just talking about medical staff – general practice doctors, surgeons, emergency responders,nurses, support staff and the like. We’re talking about ordinary people making extraordinary contributions to society during this time – here are 5 stories from around the world to warm your heart and bring back your faith in humanity.

 

USA – A high school student in Santa Barbara, California – Daniel Goldberg – set up a website called Zoomers to Boomers to collect orders and deliver groceries to older, at-risk people in his area that could not leave their houses to shop. His effort has since sparked numerous other initiatives and examples of the young helping the old. 

 

Italy – Italian Tenor Andrew Bocelli performed asolo concert from an empty Duomo Cathedral for Easter. The concert was live-streamed to millions of people, bringing some hope and positivity to those in lockdown.

 

UK – Captain Tom Moore, a 99-year old veteran, aimed to complete 100 laps in his garden before turning 100. His goal? Raise ÂĢ1000 for NHS Charities together. Over a million people have contributed to his efforts and his current fundraising stands at ÂĢ23 million. Yes, million!

 

Sweden – Princess Sofia of Sweden traded her tiara for scrubs and volunteered at a Stockholm hospital, assisting in non-medical duties like disinfecting and cleaning.

 

Brazil – Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro got a makeover and was lit up in a medical uniform last weekend to show appreciation and respect for our frontline heroes – the healthcare professionals.

 

At Gogodoc, we have our own healthcare heroes helping with the pandemic – every General Practice doctor in our roster is available for online doctor consultation services. Appointments for video consultations with our GPs are easy to book (check out our website for the appointment form), private, and safe in these social-distancing times. Find a general practice doctor near you and get an appointment in as little as one hour!

Book an appointment today!

April 26, 2020 by Community Manager 0 Comments

Using this time wisely – 5 self-improvement things to do indoors

We’ve been given a gift, amidst all the chaos around us – that gift is time – and tons of it. So how can we best use this time to add a few good habits to our schedule? Read below.

Home Workouts

No access to the gym doesn’t mean no fitness. Use what you have and invest time in home workouts. Get an app that offers online classes, or watch youtube videos that make it interesting and fun for you. The endorphins after exercising are sure to help you get through these times!

Reading

Audio, digital, hard copy. There are more choices today than ever before. Reading can be incredibly helpful in accumulating knowledge, broadening perspectives and just letting that brain consume relevant and mindful content. Explore a favourite genre, or dip your toes into a new one. Listen to a good story, or go the non-fiction route and pick up a good habit!

Meditation

Sitting still sounds hard, eh? But meditation is one of the easiest ways to bring some mindfulness into your life and reduce stress. Think of it like a reset button. Start with guided meditation if you’re new to the practice – there are plenty of apps on the market – and just 5 minutes! You can build it up as you go.

Organizing

Marie Kondo your flat. Okay, maybe not that intense, but some kind of organization is good. Organizing, even just moving things around, is supposed to help calm the mind. It will also show you how many things you’ve bought thinking you would use them but have barely touched!

Cooking Your Own Meals

Survival 101 right there – knowing how to make sustenance. Now may be the time to check out those youtube videos, or that old cookbook you forgot you paid for. Knowing what you are putting into your body, will help you differentiate between flavour and junk and nudge you in the right direction. Not an expert cook? Start with some help – get meal kits, or start with making portions of a larger meal (eg., buy the sauce, make the pasta).

So tell us – what forms of self-improvement have worked best for you?

April 24, 2020 by Community Manager 0 Comments

Feel Something, Say Something – COVID-19 symptoms refresher and what to do

A simple cough is enough to give us a fright these days – so we thought it might be time for a quick refresher on COVID-19 symptoms and what to do if you think you fit the brief.

NHS has designated two major symptoms for COVID-19 – 

  1. A high temperature – where your body (especially chest and back) feel hot to the touch.
  2. A new, continuous cough – the key phrase being ‘new and continuous’ – if you have been coughing continuously for an hour, or have 3 or more bad coughing fits in a span of 24 hours – if you tend to have allergies around this time, know that a COVID cough is much worse than the coughing fits you normally have.

If you think you have one or both of these symptoms – the recommendation is to use the 111 Online Coronavirus Service from NHS to figure out what to do next – whether it was a false alarm, or if a test needs to be taken, or if self-isolation is required. Whatever the conclusion, the advice is to ‘stay home’ and sort this out with the NHS online service so you don’t end up infecting anyone else. If the symptoms are unmanageable or if a baby or at-risk elder has these symptoms, the NHS recommends calling the helpline.

For someone that has COVID-19 symptoms, NHS recommends a 7-day self-isolation period with no contact with other humans for the fever to subside (longer if fever takes longer to subside) – this is so the risk of spreading of the virus is avoided. Note that a cough may last long after the infection period is complete. For someone who lives with, or has had contact with a COVID-19 positive person, the recommended self-isolation period is 14 days – since it can take 14 days for symptoms to show. If symptoms show, an additional 7-day self-isolation maybe required.

Regardless of work commitments or your general gauge of your own health, now is the time to be safe than sorry. So stay home, monitor your health and seek help if you think you have symptoms. If you are unsure and want to monitor your health without leaving home, schedule an online phone or video consultation with a General Practice doctor at Gogodoc – a doctor can call you within the hour!

Book for a video consultation today!