Daily life with the coronavirus

It's certainly not news to you that the coronavirus has brought with it all sorts of rules of conduct for everyday life around the world. These rules are constantly being adapted. Obviously, that's because the SARS-CoV-2 virus is new to everyone, and governments, scientists and other decision-makers themselves are just learning on the fly what effective measures to take to contain the virus.

The 3 basic principles

I'm sure you're already familiar with the basic principles: Keep your distance -- Wash your hands -- Wear a mask.

1. Keep your distance

You should try to keep a minimum distance of 1.5 meters from people. You should also avoid physical contact, such as shaking hands and hugging. You hear about this in the media all the time, under the term 'social distancing'.

Wash your hands

It is also important to wash and disinfect your hands regularly (hand hygiene). Infection can also happen by touching objects and later touching yourself in your face. When washing and disinfecting your hands, you should pay attention to the following:

• Rub hands with soap or disinfectant for at least 20 seconds (make sure hands are wet with disinfectant throughout).

• Moments when hand hygiene should be performed: After coming home, after entering or leaving a restaurant, before and after going to the bathroom, and - if you're not at home - always before rubbing your face. You should also wash your hands after blowing your nose, sneezing, and coughing. When you wash your hands and also disinfect them, you should always wash your hands first, dry them, and then disinfect them. There are many guides on how to wash and disinfect your hands properly, for example here or here.

3. Wear a mask

Wearing a mask has become a recommendation or even a rule for exercise in public in many countries. Even though it may get on your nerves, you should follow this rule, especially when indoors. I'm sure you're also already familiar with the rules for wearing a mask properly. The mask must cover both mouth and nose.

How should I behave in the dialysis center?

Your dialysis center probably already has clear rules about how dialysis patients and staff should behave. You should follow these rules, because fighting back can endanger you and others.

Examples of typical recommendations and rules in dialysis centers are:

• Disinfect your hands when entering and leaving the center.

• You should also disinfect your hands after blowing your nose, sneezing and coughing. You should also keep your hands away from other people and dispose of the tissue immediately afterwards.

• You may also have been advised -- if you are able to do so -- to come to the dialysis centre by private car, bicycle, or on foot to avoid unnecessary contact with the transport service.

• …

If the whole situation becomes too much for you emotionally, you should not hesitate to talk to your nephrologist or a nurse you trust.

What should I consider in my diet?

Your immune system needs a balanced and varied diet in order to fully function. Your diet should not only contain plenty of protein, fats and carbohydrates, but also sufficient minerals such as calcium, magnesium or zinc. You should cover your daily vitamin C requirements with fruits and vegetables. Having that said, you also have to make sure that your important dialysis parameters, such as potassium and phosphate do not get out of hand. Have you already tried Miku's nutrition section to know more precisely what you are eating?

What is the effect of outdoor exercise?

Of course, the general situation due to Corona makes it easy for you to stay cooped up inside your own home. However, you should definitely make sure that you still get at least 20 minutes of outdoor exercise every day. Endurance sports are also very healthy and important (as they were before Corona).

Don't lose sight of your social contacts!

Being alone at home is often not much fun after a certain amount of time. Make a conscious effort to communicate with family and acquaintances by phone, video or however it feels good to you.

Get enough sleep

It is incredibly important to get enough sleep. Adults generally need seven to eight hours of undisturbed sleep per night. Less sleep weakens your body's defense system and increases your overall risk of getting sick.

Be careful when shopping

Shopping puts you at an increased risk of infection because you are around many other people. If you can keep enough distance, that's very helpful. If not, you could see if family and friends could help you with this, or if there is a delivery service that will deliver your groceries to your door.

Additionally, you can better prepare for a shopping trip by making a shopping list. This should shorten the time you spend in the store and reduce the likelihood that you'll forget something and have to go back. You can also stock up on non-perishable food items so you don't have to go shopping several times a week.

What can I look for in medications?

Of course, you should not change your medication regimen without consulting your doctor. At the moment (as of late 2020), there is no scientifically justified need to stop taking pills for fear of coronavirus. If you have been collecting your medication personally from the pharmacy, you can now try to get it either through friends and family or by mail order. It is best to ask directly at your pharmacy. Of course, you should not order medicines from unknown sources on the internet.