- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogCostumes, candy, spooky stories – whether you are young, or just young at heart, Halloween is a holiday many of us love to celebrate every year. But the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed everything these last few months. Including our favorite holiday traditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidelines that recommend against trick-or-treating this year, along with other high-risk activities, such as attending Halloween parties inside someone’s house, visiting indoor haunted houses or attending other large, crowded events. We may not be bobbing for apples together. But there are still things you can do to celebrate safely at home with your immediate family. Here are some ideas, courtesy of the CDC. Carve pumpkins with your family. Gather everyone who lives in your home together and have fun carving your spookiest jack-o-lanterns. Take pictures and share them on social media. You could even host an online photo contest and see which ones gets the most likes. Or, you and your neighbors could have a socially distant carving party and carve pumpkins on your front porches. Organize a virtual costume party. Thanks to Zoom and other technology platforms, you can still get together with your friends from the safety of your own home. Log onto your computer, dress up in your best Halloween costume, and let the celebration begin. Hold a Halloween scavenger hunt. Buy some Halloween treats and toys and hide them all around your home or yard for your kids to find. Have a movie night. Halloween is the best time to binge watch scary movies. Cuddle up on the couch and put on your favorite flick. You could even host a group virtual watch party. You could use Zoom and share your screen with your friends. Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime also have remote streaming capabilities. Outside is safer than inside Outdoor activities are safer than indoor ones, as long as you are following COVID-19 safety guidelines. That includes wearing masks, washing hands often and staying at least six feet apart from those who aren’t in your household. The CDC classifies several Halloween activities as moderate risk, such as going to a pumpkin patch or an apple orchard, visiting an open-air haunted forest or having a costume party outside. If you are going to be screaming, stay more than six feet apart. Setting up a table with individually wrapped treats at the end of your driveway or yard for children to take is also a less risky way to participate in Halloween. Make sure you wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after you put together any goodie bags. Remember that a Halloween mask isn’t the same as wearing a cloth mask. Your mask should have two or more layers of breathable fabric, and cover your mouth and nose. It should not leave gaps around your face. Do not wear a costume mask over your cloth mask, as it may make it difficult to breathe and is a safety hazard. Most importantly, if anyone in your family is sick with COVID-19 symptoms—stay home. From all of us at Luminis Health, we wish you a healthy and safe Halloween with more treats than tricks. Author Jean Murray is the director of Infection Control at Anne Arundel Medical Center.0
- General Page Tier 3BlogIf you are feeling forgetful, it could be due to a number of different factors, such as lack of sleep, low physical activity, lifestyle, environment or genetic factors. Your diet could also be the culprit. Diet plays a role in your brain health. The best menu for boosting memory encourages good blood flow to the brain, similar to what is recommended to nourish and protect your heart. Research shows the Mediterranean diet helps to keep aging brains sharp, and a growing body of evidence links foods like those in the Mediterranean diet with better cognitive function, memory and alertness. To optimize brain health, here are a few suggestions to consider: Eat your vegetables. Eating adequate vegetables, especially cruciferous ones, including broccoli, cabbage and dark leafy greens, may help improve memory. Try a kale salad or substitute collard greens for a tortilla in your next sandwich wrap. Broccoli stir-fry is also an excellent option for lunch or dinner. Work in walnuts. Well known for a positive impact on heart health, walnuts may also improve working memory. Snack on a handful of walnuts to satisfy midday hunger. Add them to oatmeal or salad for a crunch or mix them into a vegetable stir-fry for extra protein. Be sweet on berries and cherries. Berries, especially dark ones such as blackberries, blueberries and cherries, are a rich source of anthocyanins (natural pigments with health-promoting properties) that may boost memory function. Enjoy a handful of berries for a snack. Mix berries into cereal or try baking them into a dessert. You can reap health benefits from fresh or frozen berries and cherries. Get adequate omega-3 fatty acids. Essential for good brain health, omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in particular, may help improve memory in healthy young adults. DHA is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain, essential for its growth and functional development. It makes sense that if you have higher levels of DHA in the blood, then the brain will operate more efficiently. Seafood, algae, and fatty fish, including salmon, Bluefin tuna, sardines and herring, are some of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Substitute fish for meat a few times a week to get a healthy dose. Grill, bake or broil fish for ultimate flavor and health. Try salmon tacos with red cabbage slaw. Snack on sardines or enjoy seared tuna on salad greens for dinner. If you don’t eat fish, try tofu, walnuts, chia seeds, kale, collards or spinach, which are also packed with DHA. These foods are not just good for brain health, they sustain a healthy heart and all parts of the body. While there is no guarantee that these foods will help you remember where you put your keys tomorrow, over time they can support lifelong good health. Authors By Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford, nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them call 443-481-5555. Originally published July 10, 2017. Last updated Feb. 3, 2020.0
- News & Press Releases, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLast updated Jan. 27, 2020. For more recent updates on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, see our list of FAQs. If you’ve been reading or watching the news recently, you have learned that a newly identified coronavirus strain has been spreading in China and has made its way to several other countries through travelers. As a result, this has prompted the U.S. to quarantine travelers returning from the epidemic zones in China to reduce the risk of further transmission in the country. The Wuhan coronavirus, or coronavirus (COVID-19), was named after Wuhan City, China, where this strain originated. This is the newest example of an emerging infectious disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), coronaviruses can be as mild as the common cold or can be as deadly as the SARS coronavirus strain. If you were not in China during the initial outbreak period or you have not had close exposure to someone who has been infected with the new virus, be assured that you are highly unlikely to have this particular strain of coronavirus. At this point, there has been no sustained human-to-human secondary transmission in the U.S. Other coronavirus strains occur in the U.S. year-round. Most people will get infected with one or more of the common human coronaviruses in their lifetime. There is no FDA-approved drug treatment for this virus. What are the symptoms? Most people with a coronavirus infection do not become seriously ill. The coronavirus is a kind of common virus that causes mild to moderate upper-respiratory infections. Like other respiratory viruses, strains of coronavirus increase transmission during the winter season. Similar to the common cold, coronaviruses last for a short period and symptoms are typically not severe but include a runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever and malaise. Those at highest risk of complications are children, the elderly, those with significant cardiac or pulmonary disease and those with a compromised immune system. How does it spread? Because the coronavirus is a respiratory virus, the most common method of transmission is through respiratory droplets and contact with surfaces contaminated with the virus. Contagion happens from person-to-person through coughing, sneezing, close personal contact or through touching contaminated surfaces. How can I protect myself? Although there are currently no vaccines available against the coronavirus infection, an important preventative step is to always get your annual flu vaccine. It’s not too late to get the flu vaccine given that the flu season typically extends into April or May each year in this area. It’s helpful when we can prevent other known viruses (like the flu) that can present symptoms similar to coronavirus strains. There is no commercially available test for the Wuhan strain of coronavirus at this time. Testing of hospitalized patients at highest risk is done through the state lab and CDC. According to CDC recommendations, you may be able to reduce your risk of infection by avoiding unnecessary travel; washing your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds or using a hand sanitizer; avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth; and avoiding contact with people who are ill. If your symptoms are similar to those of the cold, you can reduce the chance of spread to others by staying home during the duration of your symptoms, avoiding close contact with others, covering your mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing and frequently disinfecting nearby objects and surfaces. Both the CDC and WHO recommend against non-essential travel to China at this time. A 14-day mandatory quarantine for travelers returning from China to the U.S. was imposed on February 3. According to the CDC, the immediate health risk from Wuhan coronavirus to the general American public is considered very low at this time. Visit the CDC website for up-to-date information on the Wuhan coronavirus.0
- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogNothing can keep Rosa and Wayne Elliott separated – not even the COVID-19 pandemic. The Edgewater couple was treated for the virus at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center this month. Rosa, 90, was admitted on Jan. 11. Wayne, 89, was admitted four days later. But that didn’t stop date night for the Elliotts, who have been married for 71 years. They were on the same unit, so LHAAMC staff brought them together for each meal so they could still spend time together, hand in hand. “Although bringing someone down the hall for meals seems simple, the impact it made for not just the patients, but the staff who care for them was uplifting,” says Justin Bowser, clinical nursing director of LHAAMC’s medical surgical unit, neurological care unit and inpatient wound/ostomy department. Together, the Elliotts have lived an exciting life. Wayne served in the U.S. Navy, where he lost an eye. But that hasn’t kept him from winning several awards for competitive shooting. The retired employee of the state prison system is a master carpenter and lover of woodworking, and he fixes up and shoots muzzleloaders in his spare time. Rosa was the one who asked Wayne out for their first date all those years ago. A retired bank employee, she traveled all over the world with her husband when they were younger. “We have seen a great deal of sadness, grief, loss during this pandemic. What we try to remember most are the positive memories, the memories where we make an impact on someone’s life,” Justin says. “This love story is a prime example of a positive memory we can cherish.” The Elliotts were discharged from LHAAMC last week and are now recovering at home.0
- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogA physical therapist by training, Kelly Rund is used to working in the outpatient world, without the lines, tubes and monitors that are fixtures of a hospital room. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed things. Kelly is one of 36 physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapists and rehabilitation aides redeployed to work with COVID-19 patients on Anne Arundel Medical Center’s (AAMC) medical/surgical units as part of the new Prone and Mobility team. Six members of the team are working in AAMC’s Intensive Care Unit. The program has two components. Staff members are trained to “prone” patients, or place them on their stomach. The process takes about an hour and helps mitigate COVID-19 symptoms and increase the amount of oxygen they are getting into their lungs. They are also trained to assist with patients’ mobility, helping them walk around their rooms and do other activities to keep them moving. Kelly, who normally is based at AAMG Physical Therapy’s Edgewater office, says the program has given her an opportunity to support patients emotionally as well as medically. It’s nice for them to see a friendly face, even if it’s hidden behind masks and face shields, she adds. “I feel very thankful just to be someone who can be in there and sit with them,” Kelly says. Christy Wu, AAMC’s inpatient physical therapy manager, says the program began at the start of the pandemic. Clinic staff members were originally redeployed to help patients with their mobility, which decreases their fall risk and the likelihood that they’ll have to return to the hospital. But there was a growing need to have clinical staff on hand to prone position patients. Studies have shown that prone positioning could lead to improved outcomes for patients who are on ventilators. Doctors at hospitals in New York and Massachusetts have seen improvements when COVID-19 patients are placed in the prone position. “You definitely see a difference when you get these patients off of their backs,” says Clarisse Labor, a physical therapist with AAMG Physical Therapy’s Bowie North office. Each team member is trained to do both prone positioning and mobility – it just depends on what and where the need is. AAMC already had mobility training in place for nursing staff and has adapted prone positioning training from Massachusetts General Hospital. “They have amazing clinical skills, and we are putting them where they are needed and helping to support the nursing units,” Christy says. “We’ve had really great feedback from the nursing directors.” Since the beginning of May, the team has prone positioned 150 COVID-19 patients, Christy says. Mobility numbers aren’t yet available. Kelly and Clarisse say their colleagues in the hospital have been supportive and eager to show them the ropes. “It’s been several years since I worked in acute care, and it’s definitely different than outpatient,” Clarisse says. “But the nurses and therapists have been very helpful and I definitely felt welcomed. I feel fortunate that I am still able to help in these times.” Elizabeth Bailey, clinical supervisor on the Observation Unit, added that the team has gone above and beyond their assigned duties. “Today I watched a special needs patient on our unit just beam with pride as they encouraged her, telling her how well she was doing,” she says. “They assisted other patients with ambulation to the commode, and even changed briefs and bed linens as they worked with the patients. This was not expected or even asked of them – they wanted to do it.” Christie Thibeault, nursing manager on the Observation Unit, praised team members for providing an extra set of hands in an extremely busy time. Thanks to the team, nurses can stay focused on other aspects of care. “They have just been phenomenal support for our nursing staff, and have improved the quality of patient care tremendously,” Christie says. A former ICU and trauma nurse, Christie has long been familiar with the benefits of prone positioning and says she’s eager to dive more deeply into how it’s improved COVID-19 patient outcomes post-pandemic. “There’s so much that should come out of this,” she says. “Did it decrease their length of stay? Did it prevent them from going on a ventilator?” Christie is excited to see the impact of this important work.0
How can we help?
Common Searches
Common Searches
Log in with MyChart
Access personalized site features & view your health records.
Learn more about MyChartDon’t have a MyChart account?
Your Account
View your Dashboard
Messages
Billing Summary
Find Care
Schedule Appointment
My Care Team
My Record
Appointments
Medications
Insurance Summary
Log in with MyChart
Access personalized site features & view your health records.
Learn more about MyChartDon’t have a MyChart account?