"At the beginning of the pandemic, I was hearing a lot from couples that I work with, about how much they were appreciating the ability to spend more time together," says Dr. Jennifer Vencill, a Mayo Clinic psychologist. "But that story is starting to shift a little."
On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. John O'Horo, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases physician and the study's first author, discusses the study results and explains how the Mayo Clinic Model of Care improves outcomes for patients.
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am a Latina woman recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. Several other members of my extended family also have high blood pressure and heart disease. I am concerned with the spikes of COVID-19 and wondering what I can do to lower my risk of getting seriously ill with COVID-19.
"It is incredibly important to keep in mind the types of symptoms, whether you think they are related to COVID-19 or not, that are severe enough and concerning that should bring you to seek emergent medical care," says Dr. Michael Boniface, a Mayo Clinic emergency medicine physician. "If you experience these types of severe symptoms, you need to go to the closest emergency room or call 911."
"Most hospitalized patients who are positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms of the virus, such as shortness of breath, require a daily dose of remdesivir for five days. It is given intravenously, so this occurs while the patient is in the hospital," says Margaret Paulson, D.O., a Mayo Clinic Health System hospitalist. "However, there is a new option for patients with conditions previously managed in a hospital called advanced care at home."
On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, looks back at what has been learned in 2020, and forward to the possibility of controlling COVID-19 in 2021.
Dr. Craig Sawchuk, a Mayo Clinic psychologist, says it's OK to acknowledge that life in 2020 has been filled with struggles and losses. "We're all human. And we're all struggling in our own ways."
Stress, isolation and limited access to resources are fueling rising rates of substance abuse and overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic. While coronavirus has been the focus of so much attention this year, the opioid crisis has continued unabated and has even worsened. More than 40 states have reported increases in opioid related deaths, according to the American Medical Association.