Over 100 days in quarantine have come and gone for New Jerseyans. Yet COVID-19 is rising among young people. Is this worth worrying over?<\/p>\n
Stay alert, not anxious, advised Dr. Mikhail Mike Varshavski of Chatham Family Medicine, in a virtual interview hosted Thursday by the Atlantic Health System, parent organization of Morristown Medical Center.<\/p>\n
During his half-hour talk, titled Community Conversations: Why COVID-19 Is Increasing Among Young Adults, Varshavski credited an increase in COVID cases to the increased availability of testing.<\/p>\n
During a COVID briefing earlier this month, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichelli said New Jersey has seen a 10 percent increase in coronavirus infections in the 18-29 age group since April. Persichelli attributed this to partying.<\/p>\n
While acknowledging partying has had an effect, Varshavski said there are multi-variables why young folks are getting this.<\/p>\n
One reason for the increase, he said, is that more young people are getting tested.<\/p>\n
When the pandemic began, we really urged people to save testing for those who really need it because we were short on supplies.<\/p>\n
Since this increase in cases should not be seen as a red flag, according to Varshavski, we absolutely need to return back to normal, but we need to do it smart.<\/p>\n
If we just keep America shut down completely, we are now increasing the harms and really getting limited benefit return on that, he said. Isolation for the human mind is toxic.<\/p>\n
As the total days in quarantine are stacking up, young folks, a demographic excluding children and those over 40, are experiencing caution fatigue.<\/p>\n
We actually have something similar to that in the healthcare space called Alarm Fatigue, he said.<\/p>\n
If you have a monitor thats constantly beeping, giving off alarmswhen its doing it too much, our brains stop paying attention to it and thats dangerous.<\/p>\n
Therefore, it is imperative for individuals to return back to their routines. Safely, that is.<\/p>\n
The main thing that causes anxiety with this pandemic is the break up of our routine,Varshavski said,.<\/p>\n
He suggested getting people back to work and reopening schools.<\/p>\n
Does that mean theres a one-size-fits-all solution? he asked. Absolutely not.<\/p>\n
Varshavski suggests constantly analyzing data from schools to monitor the potential spread of the virus and ensure that it is limited.<\/p>\n
At the same time, he said its still vital that people avoid high-risk activities, especially young people.<\/p>\n
Asymptomatic or presymptomatic, which describes those not yet showing symptoms, can be spreading this virus rapidly, Varshavski said.<\/p>\n
As a young person, you could be the super spreader that gets your grandparents sick, your family members sick, the people around you at your job sick, who may not have a great immune system.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, before everything reopens, he said it is important to stay in contact with family and friends. While following social distancing guidelines, of course.<\/p>\n
If you are communicating with loved ones virtually during this time, Varshavski continued, it also is wise to recognize the dangers of spreading misinformation on social media.<\/p>\n
When viewing a misleading graph posted on Instagram or a fake quote shared on Facebook, you should pause and take care before you share, Varshavski said.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, he said, sharing unreliable social media content will cause more anxiety and damage.<\/p>\n
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE<\/p>\n
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Chatham Doctor: Beware 'caution fatigue' with COVID-19, re-open safely - Morristown Green<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over 100 days in quarantine have come and gone for New Jerseyans. Yet COVID-19 is rising among young people. Is this worth worrying over? Continue reading