The truth about grip strength and coronavirus
King Features Syndicate
Q: My doctor had me do a grip strength test with this weird contraption. When I asked him how I did, he said I have nothing to worry about; I’m on the road to a long, healthy life. How could he tell from that simple test? — Joseph Y., Kansas City, Missouri
A: You probably had a test with a medical device called a hand dynamometer. And yes, a good grip strength is associated with a longer life. We don’t know your number, Joseph, but a seven-year study in BMJ found that a grip strength of more than 57 pounds for men and more than 35 pounds for women was associated with a lower risk of death from heart disease, respiratory disease and cancer compared to grip strengths that were below those numbers. A few years back, Dr. Mike’s Nutty Rice Bucket Challenge was created to help folks gauge their grip strength and improve it, so they could have a younger RealAge. -You can try Dr. Mike’s challenge: Take a five-gallon bucket and place a few small bags of walnuts on the bottom, and then fill it with 30 pounds of rice for men, 25 pounds for women. Reach down through the rice and try to retrieve one package of walnuts in 15 seconds. Practice, practice!
■ Or you can squeeze a tennis ball: Hold it in one hand and slowly squeeze as hard as you can for three to five seconds. Relax slowly. Repeat 10-15 times. Do this in the other hand. Repeat. -Another technique: Hold each end of a soaking wet towel so it’s horizontal in front of you. Move your hands in opposite directions, wringing out all the water. Repeat moving your hands in opposite directions from the first time. If you have troublesome hand pain, consult a hand specialist before trying these exercises, and check out the Cleveland Clinic’s free downloadable hand and wrist pain guide at https://pages.clevelandclinic.org/hand-wrist-index.html.
Q: I want to protect my family and myself from the coronavirus. What should I know? — Angela M., Germantown, Pennsylvania
A: First, at this point influenza is a bigger threat to those of us in the U.S. So far this flu season there have been 16,000 deaths attributed to influenza. About 2,200 people worldwide have died from the coronavirus virus. Get your flu vaccine!
Second, there are lots of scams out there related to the coronavirus outbreak. In some, people who claim to be afflicted are asking for assistance (money). And the SEC has warned about online promotions for vaccinations or miracle treatments that are pure fantasy. They often try to stir up fear with false information about cases found in “your area.” Third, there is currently no treatment for coronavirus, and vaccinations are still in their development phases. Four companies have been contracted by the NIH to develop a vaccine — two have progressed to animal trials. And fourth, the World Health Organization is calling this onslaught of incorrect (and correct) info that’s all over social media and online sites an “infodemic.” Amazon is removing items from its marketplace that claim to cure, treat or prevent the coronavirus. But it is still up to you to be a wise consumer.
So, these are the basic facts about the coronavirus, as Dr. Mike shared on a Cleveland Clinic Rapid Fire video:
■ We do not know if it will become an epidemic in the U.S. -We do know you can be infected for 14 days without showing symptoms.
-The virus can live outside the body (say, on a public bathroom surface) for 10 days. Those most at risk are 45 to 65, because this virus attacks the immune system, causing it to overreact, and middle-age folks have the strongest immune systems. -The worst symptom is serious lung inflammation.
Our advice to you is wash your hands frequently, keep them off your face, and, yeah, if you haven’t gotten a flu shot, do it now.