FAQs about COVID-19 posed by patients with heart disease

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Home might not feel so sweet anymore after you’ve spent the better part of the year there.
Now that summer is here, you might be eager to get out, especially if you live in one of the communities easing lockdown restrictions.
“We’re definitely not out of the woods yet. COVID-19 is still spreading and in general, travel isn’t recommended, because travel increases the odds of us getting and spreading COVID-19,” says Bhanu Patibandla, MD, a pulmonary and critical care specialist at PeaceHealth in Vancouver, Washington. “At the same time, we recognize that people can’t stay at home all the time.”
If you’re thinking of traveling, Dr. Patibandla offers some key questions to ask yourself to see if it’s the right time to travel.
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, consider waiting. Above all, do not travel if you are sick or with anyone who is sick or if you have been around someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
“We are all hoping to get back to our routines, such as summer travel,” notes Dr. Patibandla. “But as COVID-19 is still a major concern, I’d suggest that we stay patient and do our best to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
If you answer “no” to most questions above, you might feel more comfortable with the idea of traveling. Catherine Kroll, the director of infection prevention at PeaceHealth, offers some additional considerations to help you decide:
“I would really encourage people to look for staycation opportunities,” says Catherine, an avid traveler herself who has postponed personal plans until the overall outlook is better.
However, people have to make up their own minds about what works for them and their families while following state and local laws and other guidelines intended to lessen the risk for everyone.
“Bottom line, if you are going, control as much as you can around your exposure to you and the others you’re traveling with,” she says.
Stay safe at home or wherever you may roam.
For more tips on travel during the pandemic, listen to this McKenzie River Broadcasting interview with Catherine.
(in addition to supplies you’d normally take)
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