A Grand Valley State University graduate student, who has recovered from COVID-19, said it’s difficult to be studying health care and not be able to practice what she knows.
Hannah Grinwis, 25, is in her second year of GVSU’s physician assistant studies program. Her clinical rotations were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s hard to be sidelined during this health care phenomenon,” she said. “My classmates and I are passionate about caring for others, so it is hard not being able to help patients in a feasible way right now.”
Grinwis was out of the classroom for several weeks and out of her clinical rotation for a couple weeks when she developed a dry cough and minor body aches in March, while home with her husband in Kent City.
That quickly turned into more severe symptoms.
“I had a fever and pretty severe upper back and chest pain that worsened when breathing deeply,” she said. “I also had a very severe headache, shortness of breath and fatigue. I lost my appetite and sense of smell and taste.”
Grinwis said she was able to utilize telemedicine to communicate with health care workers and tested positive for COVID-19 at the Spectrum Health tent in Grand Rapids.
“I have no idea where I got this,” she said. “We followed strict safety procedures during rotations and I had not been working with any patients who were possible COVID-19 patients.”
Grinwis said her husband and sister developed symptoms but neither developed a fever or more severe symptoms. They followed guidance from the Kent County Health Department and Spectrum Health and were all able to recover at home.
Once she was feeling better, Grinwis said she started exploring ways to give back to “pay it forward.” She decided to give plasma. In order to donate, she needed to be symptom-free for at least 14 days with a confirmatory swab that was negative. She received the “all clear” in April and now donates plasma once a week.
“It’s important for me to give back to the community that has helped me,” she said. “I grew up in West Michigan and I want to serve the people who helped me get to this point.”
In this series, WKTV aims to provide factual information about COVID-19 – which stands for coronavirus disease 19 – by providing information and links to authoritative experts. Click on the blue, underlined words to get to a specific article.
Pets and COVID-19 (Photo by WKTV)
Should you get your pet tested for COVID-19?
As new surfaced that two dogs and a cat have tested positive for COVID-19, many have started to ask the question of if they can get the coronavirus from their pets and if pets should/can be tested? According to the AAAS/Science article, experts, including those at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have stated that dogs and cats pose little risk to people and that there is not enough evidence that pets can spread COVID-19.
What should you do to protect your pets? According to another AAAS/Science article, include your pets in your family’s preparedness planning. If you get sick and are quarantined, make sure you have extra pet food on hand and make sure whoever will take care of the pet are aware of any feeding, walking and medications. Also keep in mind social distancing for your animal and do not pet another animal and make sure to wash your hands.
Masks or no masks? (Wikipedia Commons)
Are masks helpful in stopping the spread of COVID-19?
There has been a recent debate about whether masks would help to slowdown the spread of COVID-19. According to an AAAS/Science article, the research to wearing a mask is spotty. AAAS/Science talked to University of Michigan Epidemiologist Arnold Monto, who said that it is believed that COVID-19 is spread through larger droplets and that standard surgical face masks will have a modest effect on transmission.
Even those in favor of masks have stated on a number of news programs and science sites that due to the shortages of masks for hospital workers, they are reluctant right now to promote masking the masses. Experts do agree that social distancing and staying at home as much as possible is the best way to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Looking at human DNA (Pixaby Free)
How much do genes play a factor in COVID-19?
Sciences are currently studying whether your genes may determine how sick you get from COVID-19. According to an AAAS/Science article, sciencists are working to compare the DNA of people who have serious cases of COVID-19 but no underlying disease like diabetes, heart, or lung disease with those who have mild symptons or no disease. Researchers say it is hard to predict what may come out of these gene hunts but in the past the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases did discover a relatively common mutation in another human cell surface protein, CCR5, that makes some people highly resistant to HIV.
With week two of the stay-at home order now under way, Kent District Library and WKTV thought we would remind people of the number of free online resources available through the KDL website, kdl.org.
Since I am frequent user of the CloudLibrary, eBooks and audiobooks, and have used Freegal, music, I decided to offer up my own reviews of the different sites. Most offer eBooks and audiobooks with some offering other items as well.
A couple of selections from the CloudLibrary. (WKTV)
CloudLibrary: I started listening to audiobooks, first on tape, in my car to help with long drives. Listening to a good story certainly melted the miles away. I also discovered that listening to audiobooks on my iPhone helped motivate me to walk and I suddenly found walking a couple of miles was pretty easy when you were following Stephanie Plum on one of her wild adventures in the Janet Evanovich detective series or Percy Jackson in Rick Riordan’s popular teen mythological-based series, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”.
To be honest, I downloaded CloudLibrary awhile ago and have never looked back. It is easy to search and I have followed the recommendations to discover some new authors such as Deborah Coonts (who is mentioned in last week’s KDL Staff Picks). Follow the prompts to create an account and remember to have your library card available as you will need to type in your number. The nice thing about CloudLibrary is it is available on about anything, Android, iPhone, Chrome, Mac, Windows, Nook, and Kindle.
Home page of Hoopla. (WKTV)
Hoopla: Hoopla offers more than just audiobooks and eBooks but comic books, movies and television programs. In the movies, there is no huge recent blockbusters, but still a lot of goodies such as “Ella Enchanted,” “Frida,” and “Elmo’s Potty Time” for those parents who have decided the stay-at home directive is an excellent time to work on this skill. For music, I was able to find quite a lot including the cast recording of “Hamilton the Musical” and Taylor Swift’s newest release, “Lover.”
Download was simple. I went to the App store and searched for Hoopla. I followed the prompts, putting in my email address, creating a password, selecting Kent District Library as my library and then putting in my library card. Boom, I was in. Hoopla is also available through Google Play and Kindle Fire.
RBdigital: RBdigital would be perfect for those who enjoy flipping through magazines. Along with eBook and audiobooks, the site offers more than 100 magazine selections that include popular titles such as “O, The Oprah Magazine,” “The New Yorker,” and “Vanity Fair.” Looking to start a hobby? The list includes the “Woodworker’s Journal” and the “Yoga Journal.”
To create an account, you have to start at the KDL website and go to the “eBooks and Download” tab on the left side of the page. From there, scroll down to RBdigital to follow the prompts to create an account. Once you have created your account through KDL, you can download the app to your phone and open your account. RBdigitial is available through the App Store, Google Play, and Kindle Fire.
Freegal Music is definitely for music lovers. (WKTV)
FreegalMusic: For the music lover, this is the site for them. Actually, I have not open my Freegal Music app in awhile, so I was surprised to discover it now offers a selection of audiobooks. I would be more likely to go to CloudLibrary for audiobooks, but if you are a person who only wants one app and music is more your thing, then Freegal probably would be the better option.
Freegal does not carry every song by every artist. You can search and often you can find older songs by the most popular artists. You also can save up to five songs a week into the “My Music” section. Again, I have not used Freegal in awhile, but when I did and was saving songs, I did lose all of them when the app updated. I do not know if this glitch has been have out or it could be songs may fade off after a certain period of time. Still it is a nice source for music.
Download is just like the others. Look for the app in the App Store, Google Play or Kindle Fire, and follow the prompts to create a login.
The “Wash You Hands” song is on TumbleBooks.
TumbleBooks (Tumble Book Library): This is strictly children’s books with some graphic novels for younger students. They are good about going by topic and one of the first sections is “Health, Hygiene and Everything in Between,” which includes the “Wash Your Hands” song. Parents and children could easily have fun searching the site for stories and songs.
To get into the site, you have to go through KDL. Click on the “eBooks and Download” tab on the left side of the page. Scroll to the bottom for TumbleBooks and click on the link, which will redirect you to the page. You must have your KDL card to enter.
Again, remember to always have your KDL library card available. If you do not have a KDL library card, some of the online sources, such as Hoopla, can help you get one.
In response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s directive that Michiganders remain at home for at least three weeks to slow the spread of coronavirus, the Grand Rapids Symphony is canceling all concerts previously scheduled for mid-April and early May. Canceled concerts include:
Concerto for Orchestra, the ninth concert of the 2019-20 Richard and Helen DeVos Classical series, originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 17-18.
The Pianists, a special event with pianist Orli Shaham, on Sunday, April 19.
The final concert of the 2019-20 season, Mahler’s Resurrection, remains scheduled for performances on Friday and Saturday, May, 15-16, in DeVos Performance Hall.
“The Grand Rapids Symphony has been monitoring the global outbreak of COVID-19 and planning for a variety of contingencies as the virus has spread,” said Mary Tuuk, President and CEO of the Grand Rapids Symphony. “Our highest priority is to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of every member of the Grand Rapids Symphony family and Western Michigan community.”
Two weeks ago on March 12, the Grand Rapids Symphony canceled all scheduled performances from that date through Saturday, April 11.
Gov. Whitmore’s order, which took effect on Tuesday, March 24, closed all non-critical businesses and directed Michiganders to remain at home unless employed in critical jobs, engaged in necessary tasks such as shopping, or caring for family members or pets. All public and private gatherings of any number outside a household were banned.
Free Picnic Pops tickets available to healthcare workers
In recognition of the extraordinary sacrifices healthcare providers are making to keep us safe and healthy, the Grand Rapids Symphony is offering two free tickets per healthcare worker to a 2020 D&W Fresh Market Picnic Pops concert.
The Grand Rapids Symphony closed its office on Mon. March 16, and the office will remain closed indefinitely with the staff working remotely. However, we have the ability to answer ticket inquiries and requests by phone on a limited basis and will get back to you as quickly as possible regarding your needs.
Ticket Policy for Cancelled Concerts:
We encourage you to exchange your cancelled concert tickets for upcoming concerts through May 2021. We are happy to exchange your tickets based on comparable value and availability and encourage you to mail your exchange requests as follows:
Ticket Exchange
Grand Rapids Symphony
300 Ottawa Ave NW, Suite 100
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
All requests will be handled in the order received. If you would prefer to exchange your cancelled concert tickets via phone, please call 616-454-9451. You may also donate your tickets or request a refund. To purchase tickets for concerts after May 10, please purchase online at www.GRSymphony.org.
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health last week announced progressive programs that will help ease the burden of child care and financial restraints for valued staff during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Metro Health Hospital and Metro Health Hospital Foundation have partnered with the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids to provide free and reliable backup child care services for the children of all employees, employed medical providers and contracted staff. Metro Health will be providing these backup child care services on its campus at the SpartanNash YMCA location, and the care will be provided by qualified child care workers.
“We are proud to partner with Metro Health and do our small part to help the medicalcommunity during this challenging and unprecedented time,” said Scott Lewis, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids. “We believe collaborative efforts like these make us all stronger as we lean in together in support of our community.”
The YMCA has agreed to allow Metro Health to lease space in the building and equipment for this limited purpose of providing emergency backup child care. Extreme measures have been taken to prepare and sanitize the classrooms and staff started utilizing the service on March 16.
Additionally, the Metro Health Hospital Foundation has announced a $1 million needs-based assistance fund for employees who encounter COVID-19-related hardships. Examples of a need include bill payment assistance, support for vehicle repairs to ensure transportation to work or offsetting the costs of care for family members who fall ill or need assistance.
“I want to thank and commend the Metro Health Hospital Foundation for helping to establish this program in such a short time,” said Peter Hahn, President and CEO, Metro Health –University of Michigan Health. “We understand COVID-19 has disrupted many lives and this is why we believe it is essential to support our colleagues through resources such as this needs-based fund and free child care.”
Metro Health employees are also being encouraged to donate back unused paid time off hours to support colleagues who may exhaust their hours due to illness or to care for family. Metro Health will continue efforts in the coming weeks in order to keep the Metro Health team healthy, financially stable and ready to serve the community.
Visit www.metrohealth.net for the most up to date information from the CDC and resources to protect yourself and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Do you know what federally mandated program falls under the social distance guidelines and is something you can do while securely in your home?
Filling out the 2020 Census.
From between March 12 – 20, 140 million households across the country will receive their first invitation to participate in the census. Residents are to indicate all people living in the home on April 1.
“We are encouraging everyone to respond online as soon as you receive your invitation with the provided instructions to go online,” according to a recent statement from U.S. Census Bureau officials.
The invitation will include the web address for the online questionnaire in English as well as where to respond online in 12 additional languages. It will also include phone numbers for English and the 12 additional languages. Telephone assistance is available seven days a week form 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Eastern Standard Time for those who prefer to respond by phone. Online and phone respond will be available through July 31.
The currently deadline for response is July 31, however according to the Census Bureau’s website, that date “can and will be adjusted if necessary as the situation evolves in order to achieve a complete and accurate count.”
Some households — in areas less likely to respond online — will receive a paper questionnaire in the first mailing; all households that have not responded online or by phone will receive a paper questionnaire between April 8 and April 16. The paper questionnaire includes a prepaid postage envelope to return it by mail.
To abide by guidelines to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, the 2020 Census find operations will be suspended for two weeks until April 1. This in turn has delayed census takers going out for in-person nonresponse follow-up. That portion of the operation has been delayed to April 23. The mobile questionnaire assistance program also has been delay to April 13.
All census workers will closely follow guidance from public health authorities when conducting the follow-up operations. If there is a need to delay or discontinue follow-up visits in a community, Census Bureau officials said they will adapt the operation to ensure a complete and accurate count.
“We designed our 2020 operations precisely so we could offer multiple ways to respond,” said Charmine Yates, media specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau. For instance, Yates said, the operation which counts people in nursing homes, college dorms, prisons, and other institutional living facilities includes several ways to respond such as via eResponse, paper listing or self-enumeration by the facility.
For college students, per the Census Bureau’s residence criteria, in most cases students living away from home at school should be counted at school, even if they are temporarily elsewhere due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For service providers, such as those that provide services to the homeless, the Census Bureau is contacting them to determine if the provider will be open March 30 and April 1 and whether the provider would be able to provide a paper listing of census response data for each person served or staying at the facility instead.
“In short, where a community, facility or service organization makes a change that would affect any field operation, we will adapt to make sure we are getting the same population counted another way,” Yates said.
As of Wednesday, the Census Bureau reported that more than 11 million households have responded by filling out the 2020 Census.
Dr. Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for Kent County, right, and Brian Hartl, county epidemiologist. (Supplied/Kent County)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
There is a lot of information flying around the internet and the airwaves — if not in your household — about the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus), so the Kent County Health Department, led by Dr. Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for the county, continues to offer videos with up-to-date information.
In today’s video — travel. London and Brian Hartl, county epidemiologist, discuss what you need to know and how COVID-19 may impact your travel plans. To view the latest video, visit here.
For complete information from the Kent County Health Department on the local news dealing with the COVID 19 virus, and to view all the videos visit here.
According to the health department, public information will be distributed “as the situation warrants it.”
According to the county, here are some basic facts:
COVID-19 is caused by a new respiratory virus. In December 2019, the virus began circulating in humans. Health experts are concerned because little is known about this new virus and it has the potential to cause severe illness and pneumonia.
State level information is updated daily at Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Also available are the total number of people who may have been exposed to the virus who are referred to local public health for monitoring or assessment.
Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus, and they include: fever, cough and shortness of breath Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death.
Health experts are still learning about how this new coronavirus spreads. Other coronaviruses spread from an infected person to others through the air by coughing and sneezing; close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands; touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
The same steps you would take to prevent spread of flu and the common cold twill also help prevent coronavirus disease, including: wash your hands with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing, avoid contact with people who are sick, and stay home if you are sick and contact your healthcare provider.
It is hard to escape the news about the novel coronavirus has it has been front and center for many organizations.
In our newest feature, Medical Moments, host Dr. Afriyie Randle, discusses the coronavirus. Such as did you know the first human coronavirus was discovered in the mid-1960s and today there are seven different types of the coronavirus that can infect humans.
Randle offers several safety tips to help avoid contact with the virus:
Wash hands with soap or water for 20 seconds or, if water is not available, use hand sanitizer
Avoid touching nose, eyes or mouth with unwashed hands
Cover nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and cough in elbow
Clean and disinfect frequently touched areas
For more prevention information about the novel coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control website, cdc.gov.
Federal CDC-privided Coronavirus test kit. (Kent County Health)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
There is a lot of information flying around the internet and the airwaves — if not in your household — about the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus), so the Kent County Health Department late last week began series of videos with Dr. Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for the county.
“I certainly don’t think this is time to panic,” Adam London, Kent County’s Administrative Health Officer, said in the first video. “However, I do think it is responsible to think about thing we can do.”
To view the first video, which includes basic safety tips, in its entirety, visit here.
According to the health department, public information will be distributed “as the situation warrants it,” but “we anticipate 2 to 3 (videos) per week for the foreseeable future … following our daily COVID 19 briefings.”
To view the latest video, in which London discuses both the use of the term “COVID-19” virus instead of “coronavirus,” visit here.
According to the county website, here are some of the latest news and developments:
COVID-19 is caused by a new respiratory virus. In December 2019, the virus began circulating in humans. Health experts are concerned because little is known about this new virus and it has the potential to cause severe illness and pneumonia.
At this time, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Michigan. Information about the number of persons under investigation (PUIs) and specimens tested is updated daily at Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Also available are the total number of people who may have been exposed to the virus who are referred to local public health for monitoring or assessment.
Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus, and they include: fever, cough and shortness of breath Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death.
Health experts are still learning about how this new coronavirus spreads. Other coronaviruses spread from an infected person to others through the air by coughing and sneezing; close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands; touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
The same steps you would take to prevent spread of flu and the common cold twill also help prevent coronavirus disease, including: wash your hands with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing, avoid contact with people who are sick, and stay home if you are sick and contact your healthcare provider.
This CDC’s laboratory test kit for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is being shipped to laboratories which the CDC has designated as qualified, including U.S. state and local public health laboratories, Department of Defense (DOD) laboratories and select international laboratories.
For complete information from the Kent County Health Department on the local news dealing with the COVID 19 virus, visit here.
