I know many of us baby boomers feel young and invincible, but I urge you to stay safe during this pandemic. Although everyone can get coronavirus, it is us baby boomers, especially those over the age of 60, who are most likely to contract the disease. If you have underlying illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes or lung disease, you should be especially careful.
Like many baby boomers, I felt young and healthy and was not too worried when it all started.
After all, our generation considers themselves to be particularly tough. Aren’t we the generation that survived drinking water from a hose and cars without seat belts? I thought of all the germs we were exposed to when we were playing in the mud, looking for earthworms and eating food that fell on the ground before germaphobia started – and everything was fine.
Also look at the ages of those who run the country. President Donald Trump is 73, Nancy Pelosi 79, and the two remaining candidates for the Democratic nomination, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, are 77 and 78, respectively. They were all still strong. My 87 year old dad was still running despite all the warnings.
The cruel nickname “Boomer Remover”, which refers to the high death rate in elderly people infected with the corona virus, has spread on Twitter. The Washington Post has been associated with the trending term by highlighting baby boomers, ignoring CDC advice, and refusing to make lifestyle changes. On a Facebook page for “The Villages,” an age community in Florida, most locals seemed to agree that the pandemic was “overdone.”
Well, I don’t think we’ve freaked out the baby boomers, but I think it’s time to set a frame of mind for some of us skeptical baby boomers who have felt invincible at this moment. now.
Were not.
It is important to remember that this disease does not affect your age and appearance. Meet baby boomers Tom Hank and Rita Wilson, both 63, who tested positive for the virus.
Here in California, where I live, there have been over 300 cases of the coronavirus. Schools in our region have been closed. Bars and brasseries have been asked to close and restaurants have been cut in half. Here, Gov. Gavin Newson asked all residents over the age of 65 to quarantine their homes.
“We recognize that social isolation triggers the fear of millions of Californians,” he said. Corn: “We need to approach this moment directly and watch this moment and make it ours … and take action that we believe responds to the need to protect the weakest in California.”
President Donald Trump has now issued guidelines calling on Americans to avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people.
I feel like I’m in an episode of Twilight Zone.
So it’s time to take this seriously, with co-boomers. My husband is 60 and I will be 60 later this year, so I pay attention to all guidelines. Let me be clear, I am not a medical professional, but I will share some of my research on some recommended precautions for older people to protect their health. But remember: Coronavirus recommendations may change as officials learn more. Therefore, monitor your local health department and the CDC for updates.
Here are some tips for people over 60 on CDC advice:
- Get supplies such as groceries, household items, and over-the-counter medications that you don’t need when you get sick. Contact your doctor for any additional prescription drugs you may need if you are quarantined.
- Social distancing is the new phrase for 2020. Stay a meter away from others – think about the average length of a dining table or a pair of skis. Avoid crowds and unnecessary travel, especially cruises.
- You have heard this before, but wash your hands frequently with soap for at least 20 seconds. Health Minister Matt Hancock got to wash his hands twice singing Happy Birthday, but other songs will work too. For example, the Staying Alive choir will do the trick: “Whether you are a brother or a mother / you stay alive, stay alive / feel the city crumble and everyone shaking / and we stay alive, lead