In tonight’s segment, Dr. Oommen and Dr. Di Liello introduce new concepts related to the coronavirus – such as community spread and herd immunity – in order to help everyone understand the patterns of a pandemic. The Doctors also give a brief history lesson on vaccinations, and tackle more of your concerns such as the effect of blood pressure medications on COVID-19 and whether or not ordering food is safer than doing our own groceries.
As the Quebec numbers steadily increase, we must continue to keep our ultimate goal in mind: to slow the virus down (flatten the curve) by staying home, thus allowing our frontline workers the time to treat those who need it most and the government to make more test kits.
We encourage you to send us more questions at info@cardiogenix.ca, but most importantly, if you believe that you are showing symptoms or may have come in contact with someone with COVID-19, please call the info-coronavirus line at 1-877-644-4545.
Thank you all for watching & see you tomorrow!
Your Cardiogenix Family
Dr. Oommen and Dr. Di Liello are back with your coronavirus concerns. Tonight, they tackle your million dollar question… Should we wear masks and are they effective? They also explain how to stay safe when self-isolating in shared living spaces such as apartments, condos, and retirement homes, and which precautions to take when we do have to leave the house for food and essential items.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our fellow medical teams and front-line workers for all of the effort that has been going into helping those in need, as well as the emergency workers providing food, essential items and services to the public in these times of crisis. Not everyone can self isolate at this time, so it is important for those who can to do their part.
Pro Social Distancing Tip for those who are still working: Do not be shy to move or change seats if someone gets too close in public! As our doctors say, COVID-19 is on everyone’s mind, and there is no need to feel bad for taking the correct distancing measures.
Once again, thank you everyone for your questions and for your collective efforts.
We encourage you to send us more at info@cardiogenix.ca, but most importantly, if you believe that you are showing symptoms or may have come in contact with someone with COVID-19, please call the info-coronavirus line at 1-877-644-4545.
As always, stay safe everybody… Indoors and out!
Your Cardiogenix Family
Together we can change the outcome of this pandemic.
Tonight, Dr. Oommen and Dr. Di Liello update you on the current COVID-19 situation in Quebec, and delve into some of your more difficult questions such as seeing family members with an autoimmune disease, how to care for your elderly parents during quarantine, whether or not we should be weary of our pets spreading the virus, and how long the coronavirus will remain a threat to society.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared this afternoon that it is the duty of every single one of us to self isolate and distance ourselves from others to avoid prolonging the spread of this virus. COVID-19 is a serious threat, but if we work together and do as the government instructs, we can flatten the curve and save many lives.
So please, stay home, going out only for food and absolute necessities. As our Prime Minister put it, “Enough is enough. Go home and stay home. This is what we all need to be doing.”
These times are definitely very difficult, but we thank you all for taking the time to submit your questions and tuning in to these segments.
We encourage you to send us more at info@cardiogenix.ca, but most importantly, if you believe that you are showing symptoms or may have come in contact with someone with COVID-19, please call the info-coronavirus line at 1-877-644-4545.
Have a good night everyone, and stay safe!
Your Cardiogenix Family
Spring has arrived and although we are all eager to get outside, it is now critical to stay in to protect each other from COVID-19.
That being said, thank you all again for tuning into these segments and for your active participation. We appreciate the wonderful messages and are glad that we can keep in contact with everyone through these trying times.
Today, the Doctors address unclear information surrounding the potential coronavirus treatments, whether or not you must disinfect your grocery items, if going on walks during quarantine is safe, and other frequently asked questions.
We understand that this is quite the change to our routines, but remember, you are not alone and together, we will overcome this.
We encourage you to keep sending us more questions to info@cardiogenix.ca, but most importantly, if you believe that you are showing symptoms or may have come in contact with someone with COVID-19, please call the info-coronavirus line at 1-877-644-4545.
Have a safe weekend everyone!
Your Cardiogenix Family
We would first like to thank our patients and our followers for all of the amazing and relevant questions that have been submitted. These questions will help many others to better understand how to deal with this pandemic.
Today, Dr. Oommen and Dr. Di Liello abord more serious topics such as the spread of COVID-19 through children, the virus’ threat to asthmatic people, reinfection after healing, tips on staying safe while living with someone who has returned from travelling, and more.
Transparency is important to us, especially in moments of crisis. We need everyone’s cooperation in order to slow down the spread of this coronavirus. The worst has not yet hit – as Dr. Oommen puts it, “We are in the eye of the storm.” However, rest assured that with the right preparation and by following our guidelines, you are protecting yourself and those around you.
We encourage you to send us more questions to info@cardiogenix.ca, but most importantly, if you believe that you are showing symptoms or may have come in contact with someone with COVID-19, please call the info-coronavirus line at 1-877-644-4545.
We heard you and your concerns about the coronavirus.
After receiving messages from both our patients and Instagram followers, Dr. Oommen and Dr. Di Liello sit down to answer your most frequently asked questions, particularly on what to do if you test positive for COVID-19, how to safely and healthily self-quarantine when living with others, tips on dealing with pandemic-related anxiety, and more.
As you all know, humans are social beings and we can’t imagine separating from our friends and family. For the time being, in order to protect yourself, your loved ones, and more vulnerable populations, we ask of you to please stay home, relax, and continue to wash your hands!
We encourage you to send us more questions to info@cardiogenix.ca, but most importantly, if you believe that you are showing symptoms or may have come in contact with someone with COVID-19, please call the info-coronavirus line at
1-877-644-4545.
We are receiving a high volume of questions and concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. We are sure many of our patients have the same questions. Dr. Oommen and Dr. Di Liello have decided to regularly answer your most common coronavirus questions. There is new information emerging every day on this topic, and we feel that it is critical to keep everyone up-to-date as the numbers of affected individuals continues to rise.
Today, our Doctors touch on questions concerning travel safety, whether or not self-quarantine is necessary, hygiene, if public transit poses a risk to our health, and more.
We encourage you to send us more questions to info@cardiogenix.ca, but most importantly, if you believe that you are showing symptoms or may have come in contact with someone with COVID-19, please call the info-coronavirus line at 1-877-644-4545.
Coronaviruses are a fairly common family of viruses that live in the environment and are typically benign.
As in not dangerous.
They are responsible for about 25% of all common cold illnesses.
These viruses are named after their regal appearance under the microscope after the Latin word “corona”, or crown.
Pictured: SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the U.S.
Where did COVID-19 come from and why are we worried about it?
At the end of 2019, a new coronavirus was found to cause a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, a city in the Hubei Province of China.
Occasionally when a coronavirus first circulates in an animal, it causes mutations to the virus, which can be transmitted back to humans and cause more severe disease.
While the full details have not been released yet, presumptively, a COVID-19 started with a coronavirus found in bats which was then transmitted to pangolins, and then finally to humans.
As of now, there are currently over 135,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 4,600 deaths worldwide.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Most people are either asymptomatic (no symptoms at all) or experience very mild symptoms – fever, cough, muscle aches.
Some cases, however, may progress to more severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, significant respiratory distress, or becoming critically ill. This is more commonly seen in individuals 60 years of age and older, smokers, individuals with a suppressed immune system or other underlying medical conditions.
How does the virus spread? How long does it take to get symptoms?
The virus spreads primarily through contact either directly with an individual with COVID-19 or indirectly through touching a contaminated surface. Shaking hands with someone with the virus then touching your nose, mouth, or eyes is the most common way to spread infection. The virus can also spread via airborne transmission when someone coughs or sneezes, and can be found in stool samples as well. Once infected, symptoms typically present within five to fourteen days later – this is called the incubation period.
When should I go to the hospital?
The main criteria for going to the emergency are:
1- You are experiencing either: – Cough – Fever – Shortness of breath
2- You reside in, or have recently (within 14 days) traveled to an area where community transmission – community transmission is when infections within a population were not imported from another virus-hit area – is reported, OR…
3- You have had recent (again, within 14 days) close contact with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case.
Which hospital do I go to?
Currently, Quebec has five designated coronavirus managing hospitals. They are:
– Jewish General Hospital (Montreal) – Sainte-Justine Hospital (Montreal – children) – Quebec Heart and Lung Institute (Quebec City) – Centre Hospitalier de L’Université de Laval (Quebec City)
– Hôtel-Dieu Clinic (rue St-Urbain)
How can I prevent the spread of coronavirus?
We can reduce the spread of infection with some of these few basic measures:
– Frequent hand washing – with either soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, it is important to wash your hands before, during and after meal preparation, before eating, after using the washroom, coughing, sneezing, public transit use and all public places, and of course, when hands are visibly soiled.
– Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth – these are the likely entry points of the virus.
– Alternative social greetings – avoid shaking hands, kissing or hugging in public. We recommend a friendly elbow-to-elbow bump or bow! Also, try to maintain at least a one meter (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone coughing or sneezing.
– Coughing/sneezing etiquette – try shielding your mouth with the fold of your arm.
– Maintaining healthy habits – eat and hydrate well, get enough sleep and exercise!
– Reduce your risk of weakening infections – if not already done, we recommend getting the flu shot.
Our efforts behind the scenes
Universal precautions have been implemented at Cardiogenix to provide protection to patients and staff.
You will see us all wearing masks as well as gloves.
As well, we have tripled our standard clinics’ sterilization protocols.
We also have a designated area for those experiencing concerning symptoms.
It is perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed, scared, or stressed when hearing about the coronavirus
on the internet and in the news. Talking to people you trust can help.
We all know the poppy as a bright and elegant red flower used to remind us of the soldiers whose lives were lost at war. Over the last century, generations have sported the poppy over their hearts on Remembrance Day as an ode to these brave soldiers.
The symbol of the poppy as a sign of remembrance was originally inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields written by Canadian Lieutnant Colonel John McCrae in 1915 in honour of a friend lost during the First World War.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
Within the first few lines, In Flanders Fields illustrates how poppies grew over the graves of the fallen soldiers throughout Western Europe. The poppy became a symbol of hope and resilience as their beauty grew throughout the destruction of the warzone, colonizing the corn fields known as Flanders Fields.
Moina Michael, an American poet, was inspired by McCrae’s now-famous poem and began wearing as well as distributing poppies in honour of the brave lives lost. The first official poppy day was held in the UK on the third anniversary of Armistice Day on November 11th, 1918, three years after the end of World War One, and has since become the Remembrance Day as we know it. Since then, millions of poppies are charitably sold each year in support of our Veterans and in remembrance of the fallen soldiers.
Fun Facts about the Poppy Flower
Here are some additional facts on the poppy flower itself:
1) During World War One, the poppy disappeared for four full seasons due to the destruction, then began to grow back and flourish amidst the rubble, being one of the only wild flowers to do so.
2) On agricultural land, poppies are seen as weeds, but are welcomed as they are a sign of fertile soils.
3) According to Greek and Roman mythology, poppies represent sleep and death, and were used on tombstones to represent eternal sleep.
4) Poppies are considered the flower of love, according to Persian literature.
5) There are 10, 000 to 60, 000 seeds per poppy plant.
6) Poppy seeds contain opium, which is used in medical opiates such as morphine.
7) A poppy’s seeds can remain active in soil for 8 years.
8) The poppy blooms from mid-June through October.
~ Please join us wherever you are, to take a moment today at 11:00 in Remembrance for all those BRAVE Men and Women who gave their lives for our freedom ~
We sprang forward in the Spring, now it’s time to Fall back!
This Sunday is the end of daylight savings time which means we will all be setting our clocks back by one hour. This is great because we gain an extra hour of sleep… Right? Although most people appreciate an additional hour of slumber, it is important to be aware of the physical and mental health effects of altering our sleep pattern each year.
According to Till Roenneberg, a circadian rhythm specialist at Ludwig-Maximilian University in Germany, even a single hour of daily sleep loss is enough to create a multitude of health complications in relation to our blood pressure, hormone production, metabolism, and more. This is due to the fact that our everyday routines planned around sunlight such as work and school fall out of alignment with our body’s internal biological clock. One could say that daylight savings time is comparable to a nationwide jetlag.
Although sleep is crucial to our development during childhood and adolescence and is essential to go about our daily lives, very few people get a proper amount of rest. When we do not get enough sleep we accumulate what is called “sleep debt”, and once we owe too much sleep to our bodies, we begin to feel symptoms of sleep deprivation.
Physical Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Apart from general yawning and overall fatigue, there are multiple consequences that sleep deprivation can have on our physical health…
– Lack of sleep weakens your immune system, thus taking your body longer to fight off infection and increasing your risk of chronic illness
– Your risk of Cardiovascular disease increases, as sleeping helps regenerate your blood vessels and controls your blood sugar levels, blood pressure, as well as inflammation.
– Insufficient sleep can affect your body’s production of hormones such as testosterone in men, as well as the hormones that control your hunger which can lead to overeating and weight gain. Your body also releases more insulin in response to less sleep which increases both the storage of body fat and your risk of developing type 2 Diabetes.
– Ongoing loss of sleep also increases your risk of developing respiratory diseases
– Impaired reflexes/ clumsiness
Furthermore, people with pre-existing cardiovascular issues are most susceptible to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke at the beginning of daylight savings. Studies show that blood clots form easier in the morning which is when the most heart attacks are reported to occur. If people’s natural sleep cycles are being interrupted by an hour earlier in the morning, this puts many at a 25% higher risk of severe complications, according to a study from the University of Colorado.
Mental Effects of Sleep Deprivation
In addition to the physical effects on your body, accumulated sleep debt can severely affect your overall cognitive performance in a multitude of ways such as:
– Poor ability process your emotions
– Concentration difficulties
– Compromised ability to learn or form new memories
– Lack of motivation
– Depression
– Lessened empathy
– Reduced sex-drive
– Irritability
– Poor impulse control
– Brain fog
– Forgetfulness
According to our own Dr. Di Liello, one of the dangers of sleep deprivation is that we often do not realize that we are sleep deprived. In his interview with Orla Johannes & Andrea Elias of CJAD, he explains that cognitive impairments such as decreased alertness and delayed reflexes are leading causes of accidents at work or even behind the wheel. Studies show that at the beginning of daylight savings time, there is a notable increase in car accidents caused by fatigued drivers as well as incidents in the workplace due to inattention. Other remarkable behavioral effects of daylight savings can be observed in the decrease of productivity in the workplace, poor performance in school, and increased crime rates.
Avoiding Sleep Loss : Consistency is Key
Dr. Di Liello says that consistency is absolutely necessary when we wish to optimize our sleeping habits and suggests to incorporate the following into our routines for more nights of restorative rest:
– Keep a cool, dark room as the ideal environment for optimal comfort.
– Rid your bedroom of any distracting electronics such as phones, tablets, televisions and computers.
– Avoid using your bed for work or leisure activities other than sleep, conditioning your body to link your bed with rest.
– Limit your alcohol intake
– Avoid drinking more than a glass of water an hour before bed.
– Cut the caffeine intake around 2 p.m.
The recommended amount of sleep does vary from person to person, but in general, adolescents should benefit from 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night, and adults should get at least 7 to 9 hours.
It’s Time to Change your Clock
We now know the effects of sleep loss due to daylight savings on our mind and body, and although we cannot control time ourselves, being mindful of these changes and implementing better habits into our nighttime routines can make a world of a difference in our daily lives. If you have any concerns about your quality of sleep, we encourage you to bring the subject up to your family doctor as it is an important matter than tends to be overlooked.
Don’t sleep on the full conversation with Dr. Di Liello containing further insights and advice on the topic of Sleep Deprivation during his interview with Orla Johannes as well as Andrea Elias on CJAD below:
