Like a lot of Americans, you’re probably sheltering-in-place and you may be stuck doing it for a while. As we all try to flatten the coronavirus curve, you may be wondering how you’re going to manage being cooped up with your spouse, parents, children or roommates 24/7 -- even if they’re your favorite people. 

Some people are naturally prone to anxiety; others are naturally prone to depression. This is a trying time for my patients on both ends of the spectrum. But make no mistake: COVID-19 can take an emotional toll on anyone, even the most even-keeled. After all, we do not yet have a cure for this potentially serious disease, and the social restrictions designed to protect our health can also make life more difficult. 
 
Here are some of the ways I’ve helped reassure many of my concerned patients. I hope this advice can also help others care for their emotional health.

Everybody everywhere seems to have a friend, spouse or colleague who claims to know “the truth” about COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. But right now there are probably just two truths you can count on. First: Information is quickly evolving. Second: You’ll find a lot of misinformation about the virus on social media.

Here at MDVIP, we’ve combed through the most reliable sources of coronavirus information to help debunk five common myths. 

The number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. are in the tens of thousands and rising — at this point, all 50 states have reported cases.

It’s been a difficult month for patients and physicians alike. As a doctor, a mom and a daughter, I’ve been worried about a lot of different people. My 85-year-old mother, for example, lives in New York, about 1,300 miles from us. At first, I was worried about whether I should fly up to see her or fly her down to stay with us. I’m worried about her because she’s in the most at-risk group for complications from coronavirus. And if she stays home she will be by herself for weeks. Thankfully, my brother (and his family) lives nearby and can keep track.

You’re probably hearing a lot about different drugs that are being used to treat coronavirus. For example, choloroquine and its brand-named cousin Plaquenil were recently in the news.

The coronavirus is interrupting much of our normal routines right now, and most of us are spending a lot more time at home. Fortunately, many of your MDVIP benefits are still there for you — like having tools to support healthy living 24/7, inside and outside of the doctor’s office.

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Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the term social distancing has become a buzzword. Social distancing means remaining out of group settings (like church, small groups and restaurants), avoiding mass gatherings (like concerts, sporting events and festivals) and maintaining distance from other people when possible – think of this as a six-foot circle.

Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on what is healthy and what isn’t when it comes to eating. Should you eat fewer carbs or less fat? When should you eat more meals or fewer? Should you fast? What about superfoods? Is that plant-based burger healthy?

Nearly every day a new study comes out telling us what we should and shouldn’t eat. Peruse some recent headlines, for example:

Veggie burgers have been on the market for years. But when Burger King added the Impossible Burger to their menu, vegetarians and folks trying to limit their red meat intake might have thought they found heaven on Earth. 

Food manufacturers may have figured out how to improve the taste of meatless burgers, but what about the nutrition? Are plant-based burgers, which are highly processed, healthier than traditional hamburgers?