When Dilley Councilman Everardo Castillo, Jr. recorded this segment, he had not seen Pearsall Councilman Roland Segovia’s interview which had yet to be released. Between these two videos, a few themes are emerging that warrant discussion.
continue necessary non-covid medical care
Councilman Segovia shared that his concern over visiting the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic led him to delay chest X-rays recommended by his doctor. He eventually had two cardiac events in less than a week. Reports from the Centers for Disease Control shows Segovia’s concern is shared by many members of the American public.
In editorial after editorial, doctors say that hospitals are still safe to visit, and their ability to balance the care of COVID and non-COVID patients has only improved since the pandemic began. That’s why we take all precautions possible in our day-to-day activities: to alleviate the COVID-19 burden on hospitals so they can continue to treat non-COVID patients.
Councilman Castillo’s experience showed that doctors are using alternatives to hospital visits when possible to reduce risk for their patients- which reduces the risk for everyone.
DIABETES AND COVID-19
People with Type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 according to the Centers for Disease Control, along with several other conditions that are listed on the CDC website. As of Tuesday September 1, that list includes:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
- Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher)
- Serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Sickle cell disease
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
“COVID-19 is a new disease. Currently there are limited data and information about the impact of underlying medical conditions and whether they increase the risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Based on what we know at this time, people with the following conditions might be at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19:” – Centers for Disease Control
- Asthma (moderate-to-severe)
- Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
- Neurologic conditions, such as dementia
- Liver disease
- Pregnancy
- Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues)
- Smoking
- Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
- Type 1 diabetes mellitus