What Isolation Does To Your Mind?

hey Brainerd how's voluntary self-quarantine going what is this Dave for or is it day 14 don't worry we are all in the same boat since the upsurge of the corona virus or kovat 19 everyone's got nowhere to go nobody to see and nothing to do great if we had to take a wild guess your routine these days probably consists of sleeping in cooking at home bouncing between streaming platforms even an attempt and probably subsequent failure at some sort of home workout but how long can you and everyone you know keep up with this not so glamorous quarantine lifestyle before completely losing your mind don't worry we're not going to be the bearer of more bad news but before we get into how long is too long let's quickly review how this whole debacle began according to a detailed timeline reported by the New York Times researchers trace kovat 19 back to January in central China the source of the corona virus is believed to be a market which sold both dead and live animals since January there have been over 650,000 cases worldwide which has caused governments everywhere to take some serious measures one measure that many countries are adopting is self isolation this refers to the act of separating oneself from others with the purpose of preventing the spread of the virus people all over the world have been advised to stay home avoid going to work or school and refrain from taking public transportation aside from visits to the grocery store and other essential business no one is meant to leave the confines of their home which is why Brainard has watched all 10 seasons of friends in 24 hours or at least he's tried to but does self isolation work yes Brainard it does take Wuhan China a city that reported in mid-february 14 thousand cases in a single day they have successfully flattened the curve which shows that social distancing can do wonders if you aren't sick some other things you can do to prevent the spread of the virus is to practice regular good hygiene this means washing your hands for 20 seconds which is conveniently the length of the course of your favorite Beyonce song social distancing or reducing the number of interactions you have with other people has also proven to be effective why well just imagine how many people you normally come into contact with on a normal day there's the folks on your commute to work the patrons at your favorite pub and all the health nuts at your evening spin class if you or anyone else you may have come across were to carry the virus it could have easily spread to the hundreds of people that you came across in your routine by practicing social distancing you seriously reduce the people you come into contact with which makes it much less likely that you or anyone else will contract this infectious virus but what if you are feeling sick is their absolute cause for panic are your days numbered as we know it's brainerd don't fear there are some tangible steps that you can take if you show symptoms such as coughing fever or fatigue first it's crucial if you even suspect that you are sick to self isolate for 14 days why 14 according to research done by the World Health Organization this is the maximum number of days in which the virus can fester in the human body it's important not to admit yourself to the local hospital as soon as you suspect a fever not only with this overwhelm hospitals and medical professionals but it could expose you to patients who definitely have the virus instead look up on your local governments website what steps are set in place most will have an easily accessible hotline in which you can call have some questions answered and these experts can advise you whether or not you should admit yourself to a hospital don't forget to constantly wash your hands and to disinfect all high-touch areas such as counters toilets doorknobs TV remotes and phones you don't want to know how many days germs and bacteria can fester on these surfaces now you may be asking with all this talk of self isolating and quarantine but what the heck is the difference in the case of Kovac 19 the term quarantine is used for people who have either returned from abroad or have contracted the virus as mentioned those with the virus are asked to quarantine themselves in the hopes of lowering the amount of people a sick person comes in contact with as for those returning from their travels it's important for them to also quarantine for the 14-day period since each country has handled the virus differently until now these measures are put in place to stay consistent across the board says the World Health Organization so as much as you'd like to see your uncle's slideshow of his travels in Costa Rica it looks like it'll have to wait until after the 14-day mark in some countries people returning from abroad are placed in a hotel or another remote facility for 14 days this is especially the case if they are returning from highly affected areas while this may sound like a glamorous all-expenses-paid setup the logic behind this is to be safe and monitor those coming from who knows where with medical professionals and health care workers on the scene now this all sounds like serious business and in these times it is but if you thought this was the first time the government has imposed restrictions in times of disease or virus then think again the practice of quarantine began in the 14th century as a part of the Middle Ages in an effort to protect coastal cities from the infamous Black Death ships arriving in Venice were required to sit at anchor for 40 days before setting foot on land the very Entomology of the word quarantine is derived from the Italian words Carlota Gianni which means 40 days fast-forward to the 19th century in the United States it wasn't until the outbreak of the yellow fever that Congress finally passed a federal quarantine legislation in 1878 so now that we understand the historical context of quarantine let's look at how all of this isolation can affect us if we look at Brainerd here he's still doing fairly well but that's also because he's been isolated for less than two weeks which is not a long time in the grand scheme of things according to research those in long-term quarantine or self isolation will suffer from a lack of social interaction according to a new york-based psychiatrist since human beings are extremely social animals isolation can have a big impact on our health in most cases social isolation would bring the negative effects of loneliness anxiety and even depression one study found that a lack of social interaction could lead to a 30% increase in risk of coronary artery disease and stroke so being cooped up with your family no matter how aggravating or nerve tapping may actually be good for you in these self isolating times but let's imagine that you were living the bachelor pad life no parents no girlfriend nobody in your parameter for weeks maybe even months on end how would that go while we can't predict the alternative future we can look at real life examples of isolated individuals and what's happened to them a very tangible example of this are prison inmates in solitary confinement now before you get wildly offended of being compared to a prisoner in a maximum-security facility hear us out brainerd you can afford much more luxuries than an inmate you can go outside watch any program on TV and indulge in all the pop-tarts your heart desires prisoners on the other hand are confined to the sixty to eighty square feet of their cells they're most likely also lacking natural sunlight and their beds are probably less comfortable than your orthopedic mattress but just like you they have nothing to do much of their routine is centered around very few activities such as reading or listening to the radio and they're also very much deprived of human touch take Albert Woodfox the longest standing solitary confinement prisoner in the US he was held in isolation in a six by nine foot jail cell for almost forty three years on his 69th birthday however Woodfox was released but the transition from confined solitary life to a normal society was not without difficulty in a statement by Judge James Dennis he described the conditions of wood Fox's confinement as cramped and a form of torture but while this is the absolute worst case scenario of self isolation it's important to remember that while others like Brainard are shacked up with their family there are people who are cooped up alone in these times it'll be especially important to find meaningful and effective ways to counter these negative effects so here are a few scientifically proven things to do during these times exercise we know everyone has been challenging you to the c10 do 10 push-ups allenge and while you may be over it researchers have well-documented findings that exercise is the ultimate stress reducer not only does it boost endorphins our feel-good chemicals but it decreases stress hormones including cortisol and adrenaline which can be harmful to our health another effective habit to take up in these times is meditation a study of 2019 mobile meditation apps found that just 10 minutes per day of meditation made college students feel less depressed and more resilient than theirs technology and social media now be careful here a substantial intake of more screen time is not what we're advocating here brain yearn while it could be very easy to drift off for hours upon hours on tick-tock we would suggest reconnecting with family and friends in a more intimate way call your grandma Skype your long-lost cousins heck based on your ex ok wait maybe not that last one but use this time to get in touch with friends and family hang in there brainer we have a whole archive of videos to keep you entertained and knowledgeable social distancing and self isolation are temporary measures just remember that beyond these uncertain times there is much to look forward to yes even for you Rainier [Music]

Channel: Brainiac

Views: 89,882

Rating: 4.8496537 out of 5

Keywords: social distancing, social isolation, quarantine, coronavirus, COVID-19, prisoners, solitary confinement, how-to survive quarantine, brainiac, isolation

Id: kkIedWPgPEw

Length: 10min 54sec (654 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 14 2020