According to a recent poll by Pew Research, 89% of American adults are following news about COVID-19 very or fairly closely. So, by now most of you know that the threat of contracting this highly contagious novel coronavirus is very real.
The impact of the virus varies quite a bit with many young people showing no symptoms at all, while many others will require hospitalization and for still others, the virus is fatal. Even those who show no symptoms can spread the disease to others who may suffer more severe effects.
As we know, hospitalization is costly. But there are steps all of us can take right now to help keep those costs down.
Here are a few things you can do right now to lower the cost of health care and help keep yourself and your community healthy.
- Wash your hands: Wash them frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Social distancing: Put distance between yourself and other people.
- Stay home: If you are sick, stay at home except to get medical care. This reduces the number of people you come into contact with.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces: Surfaces that are frequently touched should be cleaned regularly.
- Protect high risk individuals: High risk individuals include those ages 65 and older, people with underlying health conditions and pregnant women. Even if you have no symptoms, understand that you may be carrying the virus and could put these people at particular risk.
That’s right. The best way to reduce health care costs is to help yourself and those around you avoid the need for care. These steps are not just good for your physical health, but for your fiscal health as well.
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