Dr. Calvin Parker said the novel coronavirus is not a hoax and it is time to slow down the spread in Orange County. Wearing a mask can help protect others.
“The real danger” is when hospital beds are not available for people who need them, he said. Hospitals in Houston and Jefferson County are filling up, so it is time to use precautions.
He said most of the local spikes are coming from large social gatherings and not from restaurants or retail businesses. The Orange County Health Department Wednesday reported cases had risen to 191, 60 more than the week before, or a 46 percent increase.
Parker, who is the appointed Orange County Medical Authority, spoke Thursday with KOGT’s Gary Stelly on The Morning Show.
The best medical advice is to go back to the basics, he said. “We have a virus that is real. It’s out there and we know it’s contagious,” he said.
The virus is referred to as a “novel coronavirus” because it is new. Medical doctors and researchers learn new things about it every day, he said. That is why sometimes advice changes.
People have become complacent as few cases reached this area and businesses opened up. “As we see improvements, we let our guard down,” he said.
Like the story “The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf,” people grew weary of warnings and have stopped taking precautions, he said.
The proof of the spread is that hospitalizations are increasing in the Houston area and Jefferson County, he said. The Texas Medical Center in Houston is recognized as one of the best in the world. Yet the upswing in Covid 19 patients needing hospital beds has made the center start sending adult patients to Texas Children’s Hospital, he said.
“The ICU beds are pretty full,” he said. “if Houston beds are full, it’s harder to get our patients there,” he said.
Orange County does not have a hospital and patients here either go to Jefferson County or Calcasieu Parish hospitals. Both are also seeing increases in covid cases.
The doctor said when hospitals are full, some people who could have survived covid might end up another fatality because of the lack of care.
The increase of cases in Southeast Texas is not a “second wave,” Parker said. “I see it as one big wave.” The virus will also be around for months and can’t be predicted.
Wearing a mask helps stop the spread, he said. No mask is perfect, but cloth or surgical masks prevent a person’s breath, sneeze, or cough from spreading into the air for others to inhale. He said the N-95 masks can keep the virus from the wearer better than the other masks, but they are uncomfortable. That means people don’t wear them enough. It is better to wear a more comfortable cloth or surgical mask, he added.
Parker said some people do not want to wear a mask because they think it makes them look weak or silly. But wearing a mask shows a person is considerate to others.
Taking temperatures also help stop the spread, though it is not always accurate. A temperature of 100 degrees or more shows a person could have the virus whether or not they have other symptoms.
He also advocates washing hands frequently or using hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Social distancing of staying six feet away from other people also helps prevent spread.
The doctor explained about the two different tests. Medical tests are usually ordered by a doctor who then reviews the results with the patient. People who go to get a public covid test should consult with their physician on what the results mean.
No test is perfect and someone who has a negative test could be positive, and vice versa.
The nasal swab is when a long “Q-Tip” style swab is stuck deep into the nasal cavity. The swab has to stay there for 15-20 seconds and be twisted to gather the material. Parker said the test is uncomfortable. The nasal swab will show if the patient has an active virus that could spread.
A blood test will show whether a person has developed antibodies against the novel coronavirus. Parker said if a person has antibodies, it means they have been exposed to the virus. The body produces unique antibodies to fight each kind of virus.
The antibodies can help fight another exposure to the virus, but does not mean a person will not contract covid 19, he said. Some people have gotten covid twice, so getting the disease may not provide immunity.
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