New advice for Norwegians in risk groups: 1.6 million at risk

Minister of Health and Care services Bent Høie (Conservative Party).Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB scanpix

One in three Norwegians is  at risk of contracting a serious illness and may die if infected by the Coronavirus. As a result, the health authorities are coming up with new advice to prevent infection.

The new advice has been prepared by the Directorate of Health and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and is intended to help both those at risk and their relatives.

Those at risk are older than 65, especially those over 80, people with cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, impaired immune system, diabetes and cancer.

Smoking and obesity can also increase the risk.

1.6 million people
“A total of about 1.6 million people are in these groups,” said acting Assistant Director of Health, Espen Nakstad when the new advice was presented on Thursday.

The health authorities encourage, among other things, to cut down on physical visits and to call instead.

Høie: “Be careful”
“You must not visit anyone in the risk group if you have a cold, a fever or breathing difficulties,” said Minister of Health and Care, Bent Høie (H).

He pointed out that many people in the risk group think it will go well, but emphasized that it is important to be careful.

“We do not encourage total isolation but give clear advice on how they can travel in society in ways that pose little risk,” said Høie.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today

1 Comment on "New advice for Norwegians in risk groups: 1.6 million at risk"

  1. Still no urging wearing even homemade facemasks for each other’s protection. China is empirical evidence that they do decisively help, and I’ve put the case for wearing them under NT’s article about King Harald’s speech.

    And since the report about young people going down with the disease in Bærum has been repudiated, I’ll repeat here (edited) the case for “postural drainage” – the technical term – in treating active cases, to try to reduce the need for ventilators.

    In my case, I get up on my knees in bed, with my face/cheek down on the bed and a bowl under my chin and wait 4-5 minutes to let the crud ooze/drain down, so I can cough it out. I don’t have anyone to pat me on the back when I do this, but I wonder if that *could* help dislodge even more of it which might be clinging to the (inside of the) lungs.

    Since I was 8 when it first tried to kill me, I have suffered chronic bronchitis – and/or chronic bronchial pneumonia – which keeps trying to kill me about every other year. (Teddy Roosevelt had a chronic lung problem like this too.)

    A couple months ago – I had gotten way off my biological clock – it attacked HARD again, but I kept ahead of it with “postural drainage,” and … not having crud in my bronchial tubes and lungs, or much of it anyway … didn’t even have a compulsion to cough! … which was a downer, since I really like my choice of cough drops. :-/ 🙂

    When I described this on Washington Post a month or so ago now, a medical professional there gave me the technical term and thanked me for reminding him of the technique.

    Also on WaPo someone wrote that Italian patients with tubes are starting to be kept on their tummies/bellies, but nothing about getting them up on their knees.

    And if you have the outflow started, you have to be sure to keep plenty of water in your system.

    Anyway, it might be an additional and pro-active tool/treatment which can help someone, but I think you need to do this from the start, since I suspect that the crud can solidify and really fester down there in the lungs if someone is just left to lay there on their back.

    Hang in there, everyone.

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