Our goal is to provide information on Coronavirus by the numbers in order to help our community stay informed. The most common misconception regarding the data is conflating the rate of contracting the virus with the rate of getting seriously ill from the virus.

As of Monday morning, there were 3,958 active cases of Coronavirus identified in the United States. Of them, 3,946 cases were listed as MILD. That means 12 people are considered in serious condition. 99.7 percent of active cases fall into the mild category.

The number of people presenting with mild conditions is increasing. Last week, 89 percent of U.S. cases were listed as mild. People in the mild category should expect their symptoms to pass in one to three days.

Consider these additional data points:

— On March 3, 17 days after the first diagnoses in the United States, the mortality rate was 7.25 percent. Today, the mortality rate is 1.73 percent. That is a 76 percent drop in the ratio of confirmed cases to deaths.
— For people over 80 years old, five out of six — 83 percent — will present with only mild symptoms. Older adults and people who have severe underlying chronic medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends social distancing to slow the spread of the disease and “flatten the curve.” The primary outcome of flattening the curve is not to reduce the number of cases, but to reduce the speed at which the virus spreads — the purpose of which is to prevent overwhelming health care facilities that may be incapable of managing a massive influx of patients.

Going to the emergency room or a doctor’s office without advance notice of your arrival is not recommended right now. Testing kits are available only in limited quantities and they need to be used on people who present with serious conditions.

As you may have heard by now, the CDC recommends that organizers of events with more than 50 people cancel or postpone for the next eight weeks.

We respect the recommendations of government health officials and recognize that many people, especially those with pre-existing conditions, are concerned about the virus. We believe that you should take whatever precautions you feel are necessary to protect yourself.

With the above data points in mind, we want to remind you that prevention is the best medicine! The most commonly overlooked form of prevention is boosting your own immune response. Here are TIPS TO SUPPORT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:

— Drink lots of water
— Get lots of sleep
— Reduce stress
— Get chiropractic adjustments
— Take a high quality multivitamin
— Don’t smoke
— EXERCISE! Increasing your core temperature kills viruses

America’s health-care system is being put to the test but the U.S. has the best medical care practitioners in the world. Our suggestion for today is to be mindful not to spread the virus, especially since you may not know you have it, but try to not live in fear of getting it, particularly if you are not in an at-risk category.

Feeling overwhelmed? Please come into the office and get an adjustment, or do a physical therapy session, or have a massage. Taking care of your body will help you feel calmer and healthier. We are here to serve you.

Call us for an appointment at 703-527-5492 or schedule a massage online.