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The Local Take: Dekalb Board of Health's Dr. Elizabeth Ford Talks Common Sense About Coronavirus

Saturday morning at 8am on WCLK's The Local Take we discussed the Coronavirus Pandemic with Dr. Elizabeth Ford, District Health Director and CEO of the DeKalb County Board of Health.  I started our conversation by asking Dr. Ford about our new normal and to provide us with a definition of "hunkering down" and "social distancing."  She mentions that it is more like "physical" distancing. Everyone is “quarantine-ning” if they are asymptomatic. If you have symptoms you should isolate yourself. 

Dr. Ford continues to call COVID-19 a novel virus that we don't know exactly how it will act. I ask if she can tell us where COVID-19 fits with other coronaviruses such as SARS, MERS and Influenza. 

She speaks about the testing which means taking a nasal swab that will be sent to outside labs.  The results will come back in 2 - 3 days.  There are not many tests available and they hope to test people who have symptoms. She shares that first responders and seniors are most in need of testing. 

I ask Dr. Ford about the rules for people over 60 and do they also apply to people who are close to 60? She mentions that our community's health disparities make us even more inclined to catch COVID-19. We are not immune.  

She mentions cuddling with pets instead of your family when I ask how we can take care of our mental health when we can't give hugs or have human contact.  She also speaks about exercise and sex which also release endorphins.

 

For more information on Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford

For more information on the Coronavirus