We feel so much calmer about Coronavirus (COVID-19) following Dr Doireann O' Leary's Instagram post.
We love following Dr. Doireann O' Leary on Instagram. She is a doctor and a fashionista. Her account is full of stunning outfit posts with snippets of her life as a doctor in Cork. In yesterday's Instagram grid post Dr. Doireann shared her inside knowledge about Coronavirus (COVID-19) to try and reassure her followers at a time where anxieties are high.
In the post Dr. Doireann featured a photograph of herself in a medical environment reminding her followers that fashion is certainly not her only focus. In the photograph she can be seen presumably at work with a stethoscope around her neck and her hands symbolizing a stop gesture.
She began the post by telling people, quite literally, to STOP before explaining what we all need to know about Coronavirus (COVID-19)
"Covid19 is basically a first cousin of the common cold. If you’ve had a cold you’ve likely had coronavirus. But covid19 is stronger than most other coronaviruses"
She used a number of playful emojis which we really enjoyed because while the nature of her post was serious, her personality was also showcased. We personally felt reassured to read information from an official source but in a friendly and lighthearted manner.
Dr. Doireann went on to describe some of the most common symptoms of the virus which include a sore throat, fever, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, aches and pains, abdominal pain and pneumonia in severe cases.
In a bid to empower and help people she then explored how it is spread and what people can do to avoid it spreading.
" Coronaviruses are spread by droplet contamination. This means it’s spread from person to person when we cough/sneeze on one another (🤦🏼♀️) or when we touch a contaminated surface. This is why coughing in to your elbow and sneezing in to a tissue is so important"
According to Dr. Doireann the virus enters the body through our nose and mouth mostly. For this reason she recommended not touching your face and to practice proper hand washing. She recommended hand-gel for in between hand-washing but in general
" Regular hand washing with soap and water is critical. The soap dissolves the outer layer of the virus and kills it
As a doctor, Doireann and her colleagues are concerned about their staff and vulnerable patients but wanted to reassure her followers that the majority of people reading her post will be fine.
" It’ll be a sniffly headcold. But for about 2-3% of people it will be severe"
While Dr. Doireann believes face-masks are not necessary for the general public (they are for health care workers and patients, in her opinion) she does recommend informing your GP about symptoms before you visit a clinic. This is to protect vulnerable people in our society.
" People with conditions like asthma, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and anyone who’s on immune suppressing medicines eg. Methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis. Over 65’s are also particularly at risk "
Dr. Doireann went in to more details on the subject in her instastories and has since saved the information to her page as a highlight. This is what we love about social media and vast range of professionals who can use their platform in a meaningful and helpful way. Thank you Doireann.
