Running in the time of Coronavirus
Running in the time of Corona Virus
Unedited unabridged version of my column Run&Bee in Hindustan Times on 15th March 2020
A few days ago Tom Hanks self reported that he and his wife Rita Wilson had been diagnosed with Covid-19. If the actor who played the protagonist in Forrest Gump, an iconic movie about life and running—the man could run forever—then any of us can get it.
“This is the most frightening disease I’ve ever encountered in my career, and that includes Ebola, it includes MERS, it includes SARS. And it’s frightening because of the combination of infectiousness and the ability to cause severe disease or death. And we have, not since 1918, the Spanish Flu, seen a virus that combined those two qualities in the same way. We have seen very lethal viruses, we have seen certainly Ebola or Nipah or any of the other diseases. But those viruses have high mortality rates. Ebola’s mortality rate in some settings is greater than 80%. But they don’t have the infectiousness that this virus has. They don’t have the potential to explode and spread globally.”
We’ve cancelled Mussoorie Jungle Trail, which was to be held on 21st March 2020, for which we had done all the preparation because for us safety of our runners is far more important than anything else. Artwork by Amit Kumar.
Are face masks useful in protecting spread of Coronavirus? Which ones to use?
Below are few Other basic tips about precautions to take over the next few weeks while you enjoy your running and exercising.
When you go for your runs, wash your hands with water and soap just before leaving home. Even throughout the day, wash your hands with soap frequently, simply increase it 4-5 times of what you normally would do. Don’t miss out the areas between your fingers. The time of washing should be at least 20 seconds. This is even better than using alcohol based sanitisers.
Even though this is a virus, bactericidal alcohol based sanitisers are worth carrying with you; to be used when you don’t have access to soap.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Combined with hand washing, you’ll stop the spread to yourself and to others.
When you do end up coughing or sneezing (or even burping) cover your face with a bent elbow or a handkerchief.
Avoid barefoot running for next month or so as the virus tends to stay on surfaces for 2-3 days. For the same reason, wash sole of your shoes with soap and water after each run.
When running in a group, keep your distance from others by as much as 6-7 feet. That’s easy while running with your running buddies, but becomes a challenge when participating in running events. I would suggest that you avoid races altogether.
As a rule, please don’t shake hands. Your safety comes before politeness. You might want to practice good old Namaste.
When you finish your running, clean your hands again with the sanitiser, and wash your hands with water and soap when available.
As a rule, change your t-shirt right after your run, I mean in the park itself.
Cartoon by Sandeep Adhwaryu. Nothing poly-tickle about it.
Runners generally have better immunity than non-active people, unless runners are over-trained and not rested enough, then their immunity can be lower and expose them to infections.
Runners who over-train are generally low on immunity. Please start on a daily dose of vitamin D3 and vitamin C. For the same reason, improve your diet. If nothing else, it’ll help your running.
Also it’s a good time to monitor your sleep. If you don’t sleep enough, your immunity will be lower.
I am a firm believer of common things occur commonly. Symptoms like cough and cold are extremely common and not serious at all, but what today’s situation demands is that we don’t ignore them. If you are feeling unwell, have a fever or cough and runny nose, best to stay at home.
If your symptoms become worse, including difficulty in breathing, seek immediate medical advice.
Please avoid rumours & misinformation
Indians are globally known to be argumentative and everyone in our land is an expert in all fields.
Please avoid rumours and misinformation that is being spread on social media like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. by celebrities or "influencers" who have no clue about medicine. Let’s not treat Coronavirus the way we treat politics. Let’s be sensible. Our lives and that of our loved ones could be at risk if we are careless or stubborn.
And the Simpsons had predicted the Coronavirus!
Rather than being an alarmist, Dr Hatchett said that what happens with this virus is actually up to us. Now, that is an important point. We need to be responsible global citizens and runners.
Dedicated to all the argumentative Indians. Please be the change. All else will follow. Being in denial or stubbornness isn’t going to change a thing. (Artwork by Amit Kumar)
After I had written this piece, a dear friend shared this one by Runners World, such copy cats. :) but then again copying is the best form of flattery.
