Page 9 - SFHN Dec 2020

COVID-Related Housing Crisis and Pandemic Traveling Tips

Social Determinants of Health During the 2020 Holiday Season

Ideally, people should mask use. The safest seat is
This month, during the American Medical not travel this holiday sea- at the front of the plane as it
Association (AMA) Special Meeting, the Council on son. In fact, the CDC has presents decreased exposure
Medical Services adopted a report that calls for a com- officially asked the to others by boarding last
prehensive approach to address the impact of social American public to stay and exiting first. Seats in the
determinants of health (SDOH). In the report, SDOH home and celebrate exclu- back also have less traffic as
are defined as economic stability, neighborhood, access sively within their own long as they are not too close
to transportation, education and life opportunities, households. Why? to the bathrooms.
access to food, quality and safety of housing, commu- Recent data suggests that Bring hand sanitizer
nity/social support, and access to health care. 24% of infections are trans- wipes, surgical masks, and
The financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic mitted by asymptomatic bleach wipes for surfaces.
has ignited a crisis in housing for thousands of families people, 35% by people The TSA currently allows
throughout our state. According to the research firm BY FRASER COBBE who are pre-symptomatic BY KUNJANA one liquid hand sanitizer
Stout, it is estimated that 960K to 1.1 million house- and only 41% by people MAVUNDA, MD, container up to 12 ounces
holds in Florida are at risk of eviction. And the rent who are showing symp- MPH, DTM&H per passenger in carry-on-
shortfall is currently estimated between $1.422 billion and $1.5 billion. toms. One infected person bags. Bring your own drinks
Protective measures have been put in place by the Centers for Disease Control may infect several people on a plane, and snacks for the flight.
(CDC), as well as the Executive Orders from the Governor’s Office to stem the tide train or terminal. Wear the surgical mask upon entrance
of mass evictions. In some communities, resources have also been set aside, primarily However, after months of isolation or to the airport, on the flight and when exit-
through the CARES Act funding, to assist tenants and landlords in dealing with the near-isolation, a person may feel a need to ing the airport. Avoid using public bath-
inability to cover rent payments. travel to engage in familiar holiday tradi- rooms and touching airport surfaces.
Physicians often struggle to find immediate ways to assist patients with some of the tions. Additionally, many colleges will not Wearing gloves offers false security. Use
social determinants of health that they face. In this instance, the framework for assis- have students return to campus after the hand sanitizer wipes instead – rather than
tance is in place for physicians to play an active role in helping their patients deal Thanksgiving holiday and the returning gel - frequently. Remember that hand san-
with housing insecurity through awareness and resources. students may bring COVID-19 to the fam- itizing gel can be flammable.
First, the Dade County Medical Association (DCMA) has secured a screening tool ily home. Military personnel may be navi- Staying with family may be safe during
developed by the Jacksonville Area Legal Aid that can be used to have a conversation gating holiday leave decisions. long visits and if family members are
with your patients about their housing situation. If you’d like to obtain a copy, please The decision to travel must consider healthy and have followed isolation guide-
feel free to reach out to our organization. those with whom the traveler will come in lines. Hotels that practice caution in their
Second, make sure your patients are aware of the CDC moratorium including who contact before, during and after travel. In- cleaning practices, require guests to wear
qualifies and what limitations are in effect, and how to apply. person gatherings of those from different masks in public spaces, and allow enough
A website has been created that provides Floridians all of this background infor- living situations – including homebound social distancing space are safe alterna-
mation: www.floridaevictionhelp.org college students – pose various risk levels. tives. When you arrive at your room, wipe
The DCMA can provide additional assistance and resources for our physician Symptoms should be monitored before down all surfaces, door handles, remotes
members to help your patients impacted by housing insecurity. and after travel. All travelers are urged to and thermostats with bleach wipes. Also,
take the seasonal influenza vaccine. avoid exposure to housekeeping staff.
For more information or access to resources, email Fraser Cobbe, Executive Director, While driving by car may be safer than We are still learning to live with
Dade County Medical Association, at fcobbe@miamimed.com.
other transportation modes, travelers need COVID-19, which will be a chronic prob-
to consider the length of a trip. Overnight lem for several more months. However,
hotel stays and stops at bathrooms, gas our epidemiologists, scientists and phar-
Broward Health Medical Center stations, and restaurants increase potential maceutical companies have made several
exposure. Fatigue on the roadways can advances that help with the treatment and
Offers Newly Approved lead to negative outcomes. Kidz Medical prevention.
There are people who still do not
Services Inc. and The International Travel
Watchman FLXTM Clinic with which I am associated have believe that COVID-19 can lead to death
and chronic, long-term, life-altering com-
issued tips on holiday travel during the
pandemic. plications and they do not follow recom-
Broward Health Medical Monitoring symptoms and choosing an mended guidelines. Projections show that
Center is the first hospital in airline that is strict about requiring masks, a steady upward climb of COVID-19 cases
Broward County to offer keeping people with fever, cough, conges- is expected through January. The traveler
patients with non-valvular tion, or known COVID exposure off must seriously weigh pros and cons of
atrial fibrillation (NVAF), an planes is safer. Some international airlines traveling.
alternative to long-term blood offer testing, but testing can be unreliable. Will it not be safer to stay at home this
thinners with the next-genera- False negative results can give a false sense year? Next year, we will be better
tion WATCHMAN FLXTM of security. equipped to enjoy our customary holiday
Left Atrial Appendage Closure Minimize risks by skipping ride-sharing gatherings.
(LAAC) implant. The and asking a friend or family member to
WATCHMAN FLX, which provide airport transportation. Choose the Dr. Kunjana Mavunda is a pediatric
was approved by the U.S. first flight of the morning. Choose an air- pulmonologist at KIDZ Medical Services
Food and Drug line that doesn’t overbook, keeps the mid- and a travel medicine physician.
Administration, may reduce dle seat empty and mandates in-flight
the risk of stroke in patients Dr. Ahmed Osman with his cardiac team
with NVAF who need an alter-
native to oral anticoagulation therapy.
Built on the WATCHMAN technology, the WATCHMAN FLX device was designed to Subscribe to...
advance procedural performance and safety while expanding the treatable patient pop-
ulation. Implanting the LAAC device is a one-time, minimally invasive procedure that SOUTH FLORIDA HOSPITAL NEWS &
usually lasts about an hour. Following the procedure, patients typically need to stay in
the hospital for 24 hours or less. It has been implanted in more than 100,000 patients HEALTHCARE REPORT today!
worldwide. “Broward Health is the only center in Broward County to offer the second-
generation WATCHMAN device called WATCHMAN FLX, which we have had a clinical Subscribe online at
study for the last year,” said Ahmed Osman, M.D., medical director of the Cardiac www.southfloridahospitalnews.com
Electrophysiology Lab at Broward Health Medical Center. “It has performed extremely
well with an almost 99% success rate and given its update design adapts to all anatomies or call 561-368-6950
that could be encountered in this vary variable anatomical structure.”

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com December 2020 9