Category Archives: Diet And Food

You must have been following the COVID-19 numbers. You know already that about 2.8 million people are infected globally; that the US is approaching one million infections; and the UK is probably in pole position for the death rate among European countries.

It is also important to look behind these large numbers.

Do you know African Americans in Chicago are four times as likely to die from COVID-19 than whites? Why is this?

Pre-existing conditions:

Diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and other conditions reduce the likelihood of surviving COVID-19. The historic diet of slaverya diet that was not balanced, had little to do with well-being; it was a diet based on simple carbsthe white sins of white flour, white bread, salt, sugar and tons of fried and preserved foodshave partially contributed to the dire state of health and well-being of many African Americans. In fact, when actor Winston Duke visited Villa Being in Tobago, he indicated he was producing a documentary on the link between the diet of slavery and the current health of African Americans.

Limited protection:

About 26 million Americans have no insurance, or limited coverage. They and are not paid if they are sick (no sick leave). This means many do not have a choice but to work, regardless of personal challenges and dangers. Visiting a doctor and purchasing medication cost money. Many are therefore reluctant to visit a doctor and may even continue working despite being ill or having COVID-19.

Poverty:

Reducing the spread of the coronavirus requires self-isolation. Can you imagine self-isolating if you are sharing a room with 11 others and sharing a single bathroom (as some immigrants do in Singapore)? Poverty is inversely correlated to spacethe richer you are, the more space you have and vice versa. So, with limited space, limited income and will to self-isolate, poverty exacerbates the situation and adds even more danger for African Americans.

Profits trump people:

A pork plant in South Dakota had the highest number of infections in that state. The company, Smithfield, one of the largest pork processors in the US, refused to take necessary action when COVID-19 broke out. And the employees, mainly immigrants from places like Myanmar, Ethiopia, Nepal, Congo and El Salvador, could not afford to stop working. In this minimum-wage plant, where 80 different languages were spoken, the hours are long, the work gruelling, and standing on a production line often means being less than a foot away from your co-workers on either side. Dozens of workers were testing positive for the virus each day, and the states governor had to force this plant to close.

Pollution:

Many black Americans work on the frontline (and not in lovely air-conditioned offices). They are, therefore, more exposed to all types of chemicals, dust and fine particle pollution (cleaning, construction and road works, garbage collection, gas stations, roadside businesses, etc), affecting their respiratory well-being and reducing their general immunity to Covid-19.

So what does this mean for us?

1. Be grateful! If you have a car/vehicle (and you do not have to mess with the masses); if you have a job that allows you to work from home; if you have a room/space/location where you can self-isolate, if needed; if you have family and friends with whom you can stay in touch; if you are not providing an essential service and you can stay at home; be grateful. And be thankful and considerate to those who have to venture out each day.

2. Build immunity. Remember we have been weaned on the same white sin diet as African Americanswhite flour (in our coconut bakes, pasta and roti), fried food and fried everything (bakes, chicken, chips and everything else); salted and preserved foods (saltfish, pigtail, smoked herring and salt meat).

We need to make changes to our diet to eat more fresh foods, and eat local; exercise and take in fresh air; get enough sleep and reduce stress.

Auliana Poon

via e-mail

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What race has to do with the coronavirus - Trinidad & Tobago Express Newspapers

The Chronicle

Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports ReporterVETERAN Highlanders striker Mkhokheli Dube reckons hard work, eating well and getting enough rest has positively impacted his professional football career that spans over 20 years.

Dube (37), is one of the oldest and renowned strikers who have seen it all on the football pitch locally and internationally.

After winning three titles with Highlanders at the turn of the millennium, he went on to win a treble with FC Platinum in the past three seasons.

Early this year, the Tshabalala-bred footie retraced his footsteps back to his childhood club Bosso.

Unfortunately, just like all other sports personalities, outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic saw football action being put on hold.

Its truly a blessing from God that Ive managed to stay in the game for this long. Everyday I wake up thankful for the talent and work hard to keep my body fit, to stay healthy, eat well and get as much rest as I can, said Dube.

While he has not suffered any career threatening injury, Dube emphasised that there is no secret to avoiding crude tackles.

There no secret to that, I believe its a blessing to be protected from having any career threatening injury. Im very fortunate that I havent had any. There are some injuries one can prevent by constantly stretching, resting and making sure you dont abuse your body, he said.

In the past 21 years that he has been playing professional football, Dube has played for Michigan Bucks, Delaware, New England Revolution, Chicago Fire, Lindsey Wilson College and Coastal Carolina University in the United States, AmaZulu FC (South Africa), Chicken Inn, Bulawayo City FC and FC Platinum.

With such a rich football history, the forward is, however, still undecided whether he will pursue a coaching role or not after hanging his football boots.

Yes I do have some coaching badges, but Im still undecided on what to do, but it will be football related, said Dube.

He revealed that now defunct Amazulu defenders Herbert Dick and the late David Mkandawire were the most difficult opponents he had ever faced.

Dube also featured in the Copa Coca-Cola Mzilikazi High School team that won the national tournament in 2001.

That was an amazing team full of talented players that included Vusa Nyoni, Castro Ndebele, Stanford Ncube and Petros Ngozo to name a few. We won every game we played that year right through to the National Championships in Chiredzi where we beat Churchill High, which had the likes of Norman Maroto and Clement Matawu. We even went to Malawi to represent Zimbabwe and it was such a great adventure, he said.

Before he knew that one day he would form a great striking partnership with the late Adam Ndlovu and Stewart Murisa at Bosso, Dube turned out for Tshabalala Pirates and Dunlop FC

As a junior I played for Tshabalala Pirates and then moved to Dunlop FC where I was coached by Ndaba Maqeda and that is when I realised that I could make a living out of it. After one season I then joined the Highlanders juniors being coached by the late Benjamin Moyo. I can say without a doubt that this is where

I was nurtured for the big stage, Dube said.

The rest is here:
Mkhokheli speaks on career, future and diet - Chronicle

The love of fitness was instilled in me at an early age because my father very athletic and my mother loved jogging and maintaining a good diet. As a young boy, I was also influenced by international action heroes such as Bruce Lee, Jean-Claude van Damme and Sylvester Stallone.

I grew quite skinny and I was body shamed a lot. So I adopted a fighter character which I played for myself on a daily basis. To warm up I spend about an hour on the treadmill, running about 10-15km. After warming up, I move on to high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which consists of a variety of intense workouts and resting for about 10-30 seconds in between. After the workout I go to work, if I have work. In the evening I will focus on a specific muscle group. For leg day its exercises that focus on my hamstrings, thighs, calves, and so on. The next day I may move onto my stomach an ab workout or on my arms. And on Saturdays and Sundays I will do lower intensity workouts.

Diet is important. I eat regularly throughout the day but in small portions. I eat foods that are high in protein like beans and darker vegetables. I make sure I burn more calories than I consume.

I always try to maintain a balance in my life despite my hectic schedule. Sometimes I have to shoot two different shows simultaneously. For example I was shooting Queen Sono and Generations: The Legacy (on SABC 1) at the same time. During such times its important to prioritise because I have to be able to train, spend time with my family and also deliver at work.

I am lucky that I have a supportive family and close friends who understand my impossible schedule. However, it is very important for me to make time for my close people and still be able to [go to the] gym and perform.

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Vuyo Dabula shares his fitness and diet tips with us - SowetanLIVE

Whether your business is new to remote working due to the numerous stay-at-home policies issued by most U.S. states to fight the coronavirus or accustomed to it, it can be hard to be productive working from home while also keeping your sanity.

Believe me, I can personally attest to this. Ive worked from home for more than a decade now, and still struggle with certain aspects of it every day. It is very easy to form bad work-at-home habits. Here are some ideas and tips to help you and your employees work at home more effectively.

Youll be more productive if you can carve out a separate space in your home in which to work. That helps you separate your work space from your personal space and maintain some privacy.

This is even more important if you dont live alone and are sharing space with other adults and/or kids. If that is the case, you need to establish some ground rules. Tell your kids when its okay to interrupt you and the best way to do it. If you have a separate room, put a small sign on the door, saying when its safe to come in. If youre in a meeting, let everyone know they need to be quiet.

One business owner I know, struggles with the possibility his dogs will start barking when he tapes his podcasts. He once asked his wife to take the dogs for a ride while he was taping a particularly important episode.

If you dont have a spare room, can you take over a guest room, part of the basement, or a little-used dining room? Someone I know converted their back porch from junk room to office space. You also should work from an ergonomic chair whenever possible. Experts will tell you not to work from the couch. Theyre rightbut in the spirit of full disclosure, even though I have a separate office, I sometimes work from my living room couch.

Set office hours and try to stick to them. If youre the boss, its okay to tell your employees the times you expect them to be at work. But given the current situation, some may need extra flexibility.

Other Articles FromAllBusiness.com:

Incorporate breaks into your schedule, even if its just a quick stretch or walk around your house or apartment. Try for a five-minute break once an hour. If you can safely go outside for a short break, do so. If you cant, check with your doctor to see if you need to add Vitamin D to your diet. And dont forget to eat lunch.

Every businesss circumstances are going to be different here. What computers are your staff using? Work-issued secure machines or their personal computers? Whichever, you want to make sure your employees are keeping their work secure. You might want to investigate getting a VPN (virtual private network) service.

More here:
Working From Home? 9 Tips to Staying Productive and Sane During These Difficult Times - AllBusiness.com

By MARIGA THOITHIMore by this Author

Somewhere amid my thoughts about the uncertainty of tomorrow, someone's daughter called me and asked me about what I had eaten.

She always asks about these things and I know it's a sign of love. She's always worried about my eating habits because honestly, they're bad. I survive on a bachelor's diet and it's bad.

I want to stop but the truth is food has never been a priority. As I write this I am in the middle of cooking fries and the day before that I had a three days takeout after a saleswoman convinced me to not only get chicken and fries but also add two pizzas since there was a BOGOF offer. I'll cook better tomorrow, I hope.

This reminds me of an interesting conversation I had with a friend of mine, Alex Ikawah, about gender and diet.

I got lost somewhere midway when he started talking about feminism, food, and diet. I looked it up last week and it had interesting reads if you looked past the 10,000 academic papers.

Are academic papers made as digital paper to light fires when the internet is out? I don't understand how you can work that hard to make your writing unreadable.

The research made a lot of sense about how we men chose to nourish ourselves. Small things like the fact that we men, myself included, would scoff at the idea of a vegetarian diet.

If you want to kill me just shoot me, but don't force me to live like a rabbit. Or the fact that meat has been tied to masculinity.

That's why you chose some nyama choma and cold tusker and not milk and cookies or cabbage and a smoothie. See how odd that sounded even though you were just reading it?

Meat has been made to seem like a manly thing even though it causes increased risks of cancer, weight gain, kidney problems, and cardiovascular diseases. But it's not a battle against meat but so many more other things.

When a man starts looking healthier and gaining weight we all remark that there is a woman behind him doing a good job.

We know so because he's stopped eating an alternate diet of noodles and mutura from Njuguna's as a meal.

I'm now finishing this article drinking a beer and munching on eggs. So ironical! What sort of life is this that we live as men?

This is the reason why we're asking women 'utanipikia lini (when will you cook for me)?' We're living like we're auditioning to be walking adverts for malnutrition.

It also does explain why women constantly complain about the taste of our protein. That's how you end up tasting like battery acid and expired milk at the same time.

It also explains why men end up admitted to the hospital more than women and why the flu makes us feel like we're dying and need to write our wills.

There's nothing unmanly about eating well and I need to remind myself that a lot. My well-refined minimalist spice rack of salt and black pepper needs to do a bit better.

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Why is a good diet alien to men? - Daily Nation

People use the term keto crotch if they notice that their vaginal discharge and odor grow stronger while following the keto diet.

The keto diet advocates high fat and low carbohydrate consumption and began in the 1920s as a treatment for epilepsy. However, many people who do not have epilepsy follow the diet to lose weight.

In this article, we discuss whether keto crotch is real and what else it could be.

Some people notice that they have increased vaginal odor and discharge on the keto diet.

Keto crotch has not been the subject of scientific investigation yet. However, it is possible that keto crotch could be bacterial vaginosis (BV).

Bacteria known as lactobacilli are important in ensuring the acidic environment of the vagina, which helps to maintain the natural vaginal microbiome. BV occurs when the environment in the vagina changes, and other bacteria replace the lactobacilli.

The potential hydrogen (pH) scale measures how acidic or alkaline something is. The typical vaginal pH during reproductive years is around 4.5 pH.

According to an older 2007 study, a diet high in fat may cause a high vaginal pH. The study found that the participants who had a diet high in fat also had an average vaginal pH of 5.1. A vaginal pH of more than 4.5 may be an indicator of BV.

The study suggests that a diet high in fat may increase the risk of bacterial infections related to BV by increasing the risk of other bacterial growth.

A 2020 review reinforced the links between a diet high in fat and the occurrence of BV. However, it also noted that saturated fats may be a significant link.

As the keto diet consists of consuming large amounts of fats and small amounts of carbohydrates, there may be a link between the diet and BV.

A diet high in fats may change the vaginal pH, leading to an environment in which BV can occur.

The keto diet may cause a variety of side effects.

The keto diet has several short-term side effects, with one example being keto flu, which typically resolves within a few weeks.

Keto flu symptoms include:

Another side effect is keto breath.

People may describe keto breath as being fruity or smelling like nail polish remover. Keto breath occurs due to acetone exiting the lungs when someone is following the keto diet.

Long-term effects of the keto diet may include:

It may be that keto crotch is, as yet, an undiscovered side effect of the keto diet.

Keto crotch symptoms include strong smelling vaginal odor and white discharge. However, these symptoms may indicate BV.

BV is the most common cause of vaginal discharge in females between 1544 years old. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 21.2 million females between 1449 years of age in the United States have this condition.

The symptoms of BV include:

As the symptoms of BV and keto crotch are similar, some people on the keto diet may attribute these to the diet itself.

There is not enough research to determine whether keto crotch is a real side effect of the keto diet or if it is BV.

If keto crotch is a side effect of the keto diet, there is no known cause. However, BV may occur due to disruptions of the natural vaginal flora.

The following may cause a change in the typical vaginal pH:

BV is not a sexually transmitted infection (STI). However, new sexual partners may increase the risk of developing BV. Female sex partners can transfer BV to each other.

BV can sometimes go away by itself, or doctors may treat the condition if symptoms are present.

A person can treat BV with antibiotics, such as clindamycin or metronidazole. Both of these antibiotics are effective for more than 90% of people.

These antibiotics are in the form of cream, vaginal suppositories, or oral tablets. A course of antibiotics lasts between 17 days. However, the condition may persist despite the antibiotics, or reoccur.

BV can sometimes go away without treatment. However, it is important to seek treatment if symptoms occur because of the potential complications.

According to the CDC, BV may lead to health risks, such as:

The CDC suggest that practicing safe sex and avoiding douching the vagina may lower the chance of contracting BV.

However, if BV is a side effect of following the keto diet, a person can talk to a dietician about other diets that may be more beneficial.

Vaginal odors and the amount and appearance of discharge can change over time without an underlying medical condition. However, it is important to see a doctor if any changes are sudden, out of the ordinary, or worrying.

A doctor will examine the vagina for signs of discharge, and they may perform tests on a sample of vaginal fluid to diagnose BV.

The keto diet can cause a variety of side effects, such as keto flu and keto breath. It can also have long-term consequences, including kidney stones and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Keto crotch is a condition that some people notice on the keto diet. Its symptoms are very similar to BV, including discharge and a strong odor.

There are links between diets high in fat, such as the keto diet, and BV, suggesting that a high fat diet may increase the likelihood of developing the infection.

BV may go away on its own, but it is important to see a doctor if any symptoms present. BV increases the risk of contracting and submitting HIV and other STIs and increases the likelihood of giving birth prematurely. A person can treat BV with antibiotics.

See the original post:
Keto crotch: Is it real and how to treat it - Medical News Today

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is taking extra care to provide nutritious meal to Coronavirus positive persons belonging to Muslim community, during the holy month of Ramzan commencing on Saturday (April 25).

The community members have conveyed to the doctors that they are determined to observe Roza (fasting).

The government directed the authorities at Gandhi Hospital (nodal centre for Covid-19 patients), to ensure that the Muslims get balanced nutritious food for Sehri (pre-dawn meal) and Iftar (post-dusk meal), so that they would not face any issues during the course of treatment.

On alternate days, they would get mutton or chicken curry along with roti, plain rice and vegetable curry for Sehri.

After Iftar prayers, they will be served kichidi or flavoured oil rice (bagara rice) or vegetable biryani along with tomato chutney and chicken fry. On alternate days, they would be served chicken biryani, plain rice, vegetable curry, dal and eggs.

For other Covid-19 patients, too, the hospital authorities have been following a healthy diet chart.

Starting with a plate of idli, bread and jam for breakfast; rice, sambar, dal and curd for lunch every day. For non-vegetarians, eggs and chicken curry are also once in a day.

All the patients are served with all nutrient diet that includes a mix of all dry fruits and fresh fruits like orange, sweet lime and bananas.

Health minister Etela Rajender said the patients are served with food neatly packed in clean and fresh packets.

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Telangana: Covid-19 positive patients on Ramzan fasting to get quality diet - Bangalore Mirror

As we all fight our inner "prepper" and try not to succumb to panic buying, it seems many of us have turned to an old favourite: baked beans.

Bean production at Australia's largest fruit and vegetable cannery in Shepparton, Victoria, has doubled its usual volume to producing 500,000 cans a day.

While baked beans might not look particularly sexy, they're a favourite among nutrition experts, including Clare Collins, a professor of nutrition at the University of Newcastle.

"I think most people have no idea how great they are when it comes to nutrition," says Professor Collins on Catalyst's How Food Works.

So what is it that makes many dietitians so keen on the bean? And should we all be eating more of them?

Only 7 per cent of Australian adults and 5 per cent of children eat sufficient serves of vegetables in their daily diet, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

So most of us need to be eating more veggies, and beans and legumes are one option that give you a lot of nutritional bang for your buck.

They are an inexpensive source of protein, particularly for vegetarians, and they also come packed with healthy levels of iron and other essential minerals such as folate, manganese and vitamin B1.

Beans have a high proportion of soluble fibre the kind of fibre that attracts water and helps slow digestion and a low glycaemic index or relative ability to affect blood glucose levels.

This means eating beans will generally make you feel full for longer, so less tempted to snack on other unhealthy options.

This is one reason why legumes and beans have been shown to be beneficial in preventing and managing diabetes.

US company Heinz first started producing baked beans locally in the 1930s.

(Catalyst: Jodie Boehme)

US company Heinz first started producing baked beans locally in the 1930s.

Let's clarify the terminology. The "beans" we are talking about are more correctly classified as pulses that is, the dried seed of a plant from the legume family, such as bean and pea plants.

The baked beans Australians have grown to love go under various names.

They're haricot beans, but are more commonly called navy beans, because they were chosen in the 1800s to feed the American Navy.

And they came to Australia via America too.

The US company Heinz started producing them locally in the 1930s when tariffs made it prohibitively expensive to import tinned food.

Then, during WWII, with large numbers of American troops stationed in QLD, local farmers began to grow navy beans and a local canning industry flourished.

Baked is also a bit of a misnomer. The dried beans go through a blanching process, and are then steamed in the can in a process called retorting.

There's no doubt that fresh vegetables are good for you, but unless you're eating them straight out of the garden, you may not be getting as many nutrients as you think.

Many vegetables, particularly green vegetables with a high water content are extremely perishable.

Studies have shown that certain nutrients like vitamin C can decrease dramatically within a couple of days of picking.

Freezing, drying, pickling and canning all enable us to seasonally shift our food, saving some of the abundance and nutrition of one season to consume when times are lean.

The SPC Shepparton factory has doubled its production due to demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Catalyst: Jodie Boehme)

The SPC Shepparton factory has doubled its production due to demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canning, invented in the early 1800s, is one of the most reliable methods to keep food preserved.

It works by creating an airtight vacuum that prevents microorganisms from entering, and then heating the can with high pressure steam to kill any microorganisms inside.

Heat also deactivates the enzymes in the food that would normally cause it to break down and spoil.

While it's true that the levels of some vitamins and minerals can decrease with heat, canning technology aims for a delicate balance of temperature and heating time, called thermal death time, to kill the maximum number of bugs while maintaining as much nutrition and structure in the food as possible.

And in the case of beans, cooking also makes the valuable fibre more digestible.

It's also no accident that baked beans come with tomato sauce.

Foods with lower acidity require higher temperatures and longer cooking times to ensure they're safely sterilised.

Navy beans are a low-acid food, so adding the more acidic tomatoes allows less cooking and therefore more preservation of flavour and nutrition.

Professor Collins says the tomatoes deliver an added bonus: "Beans are a good source of iron, and the vitamin C in the tomatoes helps your body absorb more of that iron".

But what about the salt and sugar? We're often told to avoid them, but they are also part of the sterilisation process.

Sugar and salt both reduce the water content of vegetable matter by drawing water molecules out through osmosis.

This partial dehydration creates an inhospitable environment for microorganisms to live and multiply.

"People worry about the sugar content in baked beans, but often don't realise some of those sugars are naturally occurring in the tomatoes," Professor Collins says. If you're really worried, check the labels as most companies make salt-reduced products these days.

And when it comes down to it, if you're in a hurry and reaching for a snack, any serve of veggies is probably be a better option than biscuits or cake.

Read more:
Baked beans an unlikely nutrition star, and pandemic hit - Health - ABC News

During this time of the pandemic, staying healthy and keeping your immune system strong is one of the best ways to make sure you get out of this quarantine period safely. But apart from exercise and proper sleep, what foods should you really eat? What diet should you follow? Keeping your immune system healthy Your body's immune system is your main defense against diseases and viruses that can harm your health and endanger your life. Since COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it makes sense that we must also maintain our health in excellent shape in addition to wearing masks and social distancing. And according to British television producer and qualified doctor Dr. Michael Mosley, following the Mediterranean diet is one of the best ways to do it. "[His immune system] is one of the first lines of defense. We know that there are microbes living in your gut, and they are there to defend you from other microbes that enter. But they do more than that because they help strengthen your immune system and your defenses. and things like that. Your microbial health is incredibly important. I'm a huge fan of the Mediterranean diet. I've written quite a few books on different things, and the Mediterranean diet is at the heart of all those books. My wife is a GP and she does all recipes, and she's very interested in the Mediterranean diet, "said Dr. Mosley. Considered one of the best diet plans that people can follow today, the Mediterranean diet consists of fruits, vegetables, and olive oil, as well as legumes like lentils and beans. "It is crucial that everyone keep gut bacteria healthy. Their gut is like a garden, and it needs a variety of different species, with a good fertilizer," he added.As for any additional food we can add to the diet to make sure our intestines are in top shape, Dr. Mosley recommends yogurt as it contains probiotics that act as food for good bacteria. Vitamin D supplements are also a great addition to any diet.Health experts consider the Mediterranean diet to be one of the healthiest diets ever created, focusing on natural foods, primarily plants combined with healthy fats. Pixabay. [TagsToTranslate] Mediterranean diet

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Here is the best diet to boost your immune system in the midst of this pandemic - NewsDio

In order to to see their son Mark in the flesh and not from the flat screens of their phones the Millers had to go incognito.

Sharon Miller donned a white bunny costume and painted on a nose and whiskers. Husband Max drove the getaway vehicle, a Buick with a moon roof. The bunny popped out of that and cheerily, but quickly to avoid being outed, waved to five men outside a group home for people with disabilities. One of those five was Mark, who is 34 and has, in general, the comprehension of a preschooler.

The scene was a poor substitute for being able to run up to Marks wheelchair and give him a hug, tell him knock-knock jokes and watch him light up with his characteristic 1,000-watt smile.

But this is life in the novel coronavirus era. Safety means one of the last places of comfort loving human touch from immediate family is out for many, including people like Mark who live apart from parents.

Max and Sharon Miller, both 62, present too big a health risk to their son, his housemates at Mosaic and the staff members who care for them. Mosaic, like a lot of facilities, had to say no visitors. If his parents came at all, they would have to do so outdoors and at a safe social distance from their son.

It would be too hard to explain that to Mark. And because Mark needs consistency, the Millers have made the difficult but, they feel, necessary decision to keep their visits virtual for now or through a surreptitious drive-by.

It would be too upsetting for him, said Sharon, a retired elementary school teacher. We didnt want to scare him. We didnt want him to wonder whats going on. Were trying to keep things as normal with him as possible.

We are now seven weeks into social distance practices that have separated grandparents from grandchildren, nursing home residents from visitors, ICU patients from loved ones and new babies from the aunts-uncles-cousins-neighbors-friends parade.

Human contact by the people we love but dont live with is one of the hardest things the coronavirus has taken from us. Typically in a crisis, we have at least each other. This still-evolving crisis steals even that, placing households in isolation in order to contain community spread and keep people as healthy as possible and hospitals as able as possible to provide life-saving care.

Many have developed work-arounds: front-yard happy hours with lawn chairs spaced out. Back-yard visits, from a distance. Drive-by birthday parties with honking horns. Signs held up the window. And, of course, screens.

The ability to visit Mark through FaceTime is one saving grace right now for the Millers. They can interact safely and in a way that is familiar. Mark, who has lived apart from his folks for the last 14 years, is used to the phone-video app during their winters in Texas when they travel to see Marks sister. Mark is used to his dad calling from the cab of his tractor, which they do in planting season.

But as this grinds on, the Millers wish they could just do what any parent can in a scary time: Hug your child.

Mark was born healthy but suffered seizures starting when he was about six months old. Doctors couldnt do anything to control his seizures, which kept getting longer. When he was 10 months, he had a fever and a seizure that was so bad he had to be taken by medical helicopter from York, near where the family lived and still farms, to Omaha.

His brain had sustained damage and Mark suffered developmental delays, putting him on the trajectory that resulted in his challenges in comprehension today. The injury did not take Marks infectious smile, his penchant for jokes nor his ability to bring joy.

He cant verbalize his thoughts but he is expressive and his family and caregivers can understand his wants. But would that happen in a hospital emergency room if Mark were to suffer serious symptoms of the coronavirus?

Its why we moved to Omaha to go to appointments, Sharon said. I can say, This is what Marks trying to tell you. This is how Mark shows pain. This is how Mark is telling you hes happy. People who cant express that, if they get sick with this, its the concern you have as a parent. Will your child be treated the same as everyone else?

The virus forced Sharon and Max, both healthy, to recognize that their age puts them at higher risk. They updated their wills. And they found resources online through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to use if an emergency happened.

Mark has lived outside his family home since he turned 21, the age at which federally-mandated educational services end. For about 10 years, he lived in Axtell, Nebraska, in a facility formerly known as Bethphage. It merged with another Nebraska facility for people with disabilities and, with locations throughout Nebraska and the United States, is called Mosaic. Mosaic is headquartered in Omaha.

He got very sick in the winter of 2016 and 2017, so sick he again had be taken by medical helicopter to Lincoln, where he was hospitalized for 70 days. He did recover and when Mosaic had an opening in another facility in Omaha, his family moved him there.

By then, his two siblings were launched a brother in Los Angeles, his sister in suburban Houston, Texas. His mother had already retired. His folks sold the family home in Geneva while keeping the farmland. The Millers bought a townhouse in Omaha to be near Mark, who lives in a specialty house that provides a higher level of care than he had been getting before. Mark doesnt require breathing assistance. He eats a special diet but has a stomach tube for his anti-seizure medication.

The Millers are used to visiting several days a week and would do it more but had been trying to give Mark his space, and balance his needs as a young man, his mother said. Before coronavirus, the Mosaic staff would take Mark and his housemates to the movies or other outings.

Weve always tried to respect that Mark has his own life, she said.

Sharon likes to come during lunch and read him books. She cant say enough good things about the setup, about the caregivers or about her son and feels, despite the challenge of not being with Mark right now, that the family is lucky. Marks in a small facility. He gets good care.

Still, the separation is hard. Sharon and Max had been in Houston visiting their daughter and her family since Dec. 15, although they flew home for eight days in January to see Mark. They returned to Omaha on March 15.

Normally they would have gone straight to see their son. But the couple had driven through four states and realized all the stops made them too exposed. They self-quarantined for 14 days.

We didnt want to carry anything into his home, she said.

By the time their quarantine was over, Mosaic was saying no to visitors. The Millers thought about social-distancing ways to still see Mark: Visit but stay outside. Read to him, but from a distance. But that would have been hard for Mark. Hes physical and the family is huggy. Instead, the best way to have a normal routine was FaceTime.

FaceTime was his normal, she said. Thats what we continued to do.

It doesnt make it easy. Which is why Sharon came up with her costume idea.

On Good Friday, when the weather was better than it was forecast on frigid Easter, she put on the costume and face paint. She FaceTimed with her grandchildren in Texas and then hopped in the Buick Encore. Max drove. They had made arrangements with the Mosaic house staff to have the men outside for a surprise visit. They were pretty far away from the street and the Millers gambled that Mark wouldnt know them.

It worked.

He did look a little questioning when I said, Happy Easter, she said. So then I just waved and blew kisses.

Marcus Butler handles a to-go order Friday at Dante Pizzeria. Many business owners in the Omaha area went into planning mode after Gov. Ricketts announced a series of new directed health measures that will allow restaurants, barbershops, tattoo parlors, salons and massage therapists to reopen on a limited basis.

The dining room space at Dante was converted to help with the take-out only service.

Workers place food in the trunks of a cars in an alley behind the Capitol District in Omaha. Volunteers distributed food to employees of the Capitol District who arent working due to the coronavirus.

Peppers sit in a box in an alley behind the Capitol District. Volunteers distributed food to employees of the Capitol District who arent working due to the coronavirus.

Jim Bartling in one of his familys hog barns in Unadilla, Nebraska, on Wednesday. The problem with being a hog farmer is that I just cant shut the door and lock it like store owners, Bartling said. This is a wound and there is no way to stop the bleeding.

Jim Bartling walks back toward his home after making rounds on his hog farm Wednesday in Unadilla, Nebraska. "I saw this coming all the way back when it was in Wuhan. If what was happening was enough to make them shut down so much, I knew it was coming our way," he said.

Jim Bartling in the farrowing facility on the Bartling Brothers farm. It is only going to get worse if things keep going the way they are going, he said.

Handmade signs to support essential workers during the novel coronavirus pandemic outside a home in Omaha on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

A chalk rainbow hot air ballon rises up a home's front porch steps in Omaha on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.

A woman takes a photo of the bright but empty stadium at Papillion-La Vista South. Schools across Nebraska have turned on their stadium lights at 20:20 to honor the class of 2020 that will not be able to have prom or graduations.

Ella Pelletier and Matt Jones, both Papillion-La Vista South seniors, watch as the schools stadium is lit up as part of the Be the Light campaign on Wednesday.Schools across Nebraska have turned on their stadium lights at 20:20 to honor the class of 2020 that will not be able to have prom or graduations.

Nebraska Strong is written in chalk on a homes fence in Grand Island on Friday.

A message is written on a home's window on Friday in Grand Island.

A quarantine snowman wears a cloth mask and holds a toilet paper on Friday in Grand Island.

Fireworks erupt during a drive-in fireworks show at Werner Park on Saturday, April 18. The park would have hosted a minor league baseball game that day, but the start of the season has been postponed because of the coronavirus. Thousands watched the fireworks from the stadium's parking lots and surrounding areas.

People watch fireworks during a drive-in fireworks show at Werner Park on Saturday, April 18. The park would have hosted a minor league baseball game that day, but the start of the season has been postponed because of the coronavirus. Thousands watched the fireworks from the stadium's parking lots and surrounding areas.

Snow falls at a drive-up mobile food pantry run by the Food Bank off the Heartland and Millard Public Schools in Millard on Thursday. The mobile pantry more than doubled the number of packages of fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, potatoes and pantry staples they normally give out each month in anticipation of increased need due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Snow falls at a drive-up mobile food pantry run by the Food Bank off the Heartland and Millard Public Schools in Millard on Thursday. The mobile pantry more than doubled the number of packages of fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, potatoes and pantry staples they normally give out each month in anticipation of increased need due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Terri Connell loads a vehicle at a drive-up mobile food pantry run by the Food Bank off the Heartland and Millard Public Schools as snow falls in Millard on Thursday. The mobile pantry more than doubled the number of packages of fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, potatoes and pantry staples they normally give out each month in anticipation of increased need due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

A message of good health hangs from a homes front porch in Omaha on Thursday, April 16, 2020.

A window message shows form a home in Omaha on Thursday, April 16, 2020.

An image of Jesus is reflected in a puddle during an Easter service at King of Kings Church on Sunday in Omaha. The church installed a large screen in the parking lot to enable drive-up and park services.

A home displays a message in a front window in Omaha on Friday, April 10.

Astrid Mitchell, right, and her mother, Katie Mitchell, observe the drive-thru stations Good Friday event at the Prairie Creek Inn Bed & Breakfast on Friday in Walton, Nebraska.

Hank, a Labrador retriever, does not respect social distancing and gives Morgan Henderson, the owner of Dirty Doodles, a kiss while being groomed at Dirty Doodles in Omaha. The dog grooming service has moved work stations outside so employees can remain six feet apart during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

A message written in chalk on a wall along Martha Street in Omaha on Wednesday, April 8, 2020.

Traffic is sparse at time on Interstate 80 through Omaha as people are encouraged to stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Handwritten notes for customers at Nite Owl in Omaha on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. Nite Owl has been writing personal notes to customers and offering specials, like the Social Distance Daiquiri, while offering curbside take-out as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues.

Karna Gurung answers a text on his phone at his store located at 822 N 40th Street on Thursday, April 02, 2020. Gurung is translating important information about coronavirus for non english speaking members of his community.

Rita Otis leads an outdoor Tai Chi class on a grass island at Glenwood Road and Sunset Trail on Wednesday, April 01, 2020. Participants had to maintain a distance of six feet due to coronavirus social distancing measures.

Rita Otis leads an outdoor Tai Chi class on a grass island at Glenwood Road and Sunset Trail on Wednesday, April 01, 2020. Participants had to maintain a distance of six feet due to coronavirus social distancing measures.

The Easter Bunny waves to families as they drive by at the Hy-Vee near 144th and Stony Brook Blvd. in Omaha on Saturday, April 4, 2020. The grocery store usually hosts an Easter egg hunt, but went with a drive-thru Easter Bunny visit this year to encourage social distancing in response to the novel coronavirus.

This sign was installed at Zorinsky Lake Park in Omaha on April 4. The mayor later closed all city parks.

A ball field is seen through a chainlink fence, at Lee Valley Park in Omaha on Saturday, April 4, 2020. Playgrounds and athletic fields are closed in all Omaha parks.

A ball field sets empty at Prairie Lane Park in Omaha on Saturday, April 04, 2020. Playgrounds and athletic fields are closed in all Omaha parks.

A Washington Elementary School sign reads 'Nebraska Strong' on Thursday, April 02, 2020, in Fremont, Nebraska.

About 100 people line up outside Brickway Brewery & Distillery in Omaha on Monday, April 6, 2020. The Old Market business was giving away free hand sanitizer on tap to anyone who brings their own bottle of 64 ounces or less.

Don Rupp wears a face mask made by his wife while waiting in line outside Brickway Brewery & Distillery in Omaha on Monday, April 6, 2020. The Old Market business was giving away free hand sanitizer on tap to anyone who brings their own bottle of 64 ounces or less.

Streets in downtown Grand Island are mostly empty. In Hall County, 35.5% of tests for the coronavirus have come back positive, compared to the 7.65% positive rate statewide.

Playground equipment is seen wrapped in caution tape at Pier Park on April 6 in Grand Island. Playgrounds are closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Russell Hatt smokes a cigarette outside of Fonner Park on April 6 in Grand Island. "I'm a widower, so this is what I do to stay busy. I bet on horses and play Texas Hold 'Em."

The Kroc Center is illuminated as a symbol of hope in Omaha on Monday, April 6, 2020.

Rabbi Daniel Blotner puts together Seder-To-Go kits at Chabad House in Omaha on Monday, April 6, 2020. The Seder is a ritual dinner to mark the beginning of Passover, which began on April 8. The free kits and were available for delivery for anyone who is homebound during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Leah Hanson and others visit their grandmother from outside the Douglas County Health Center in Omaha on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.

From left, Carol Ann Hixson, Terri Rohmeyer and Carol Carol Coffey wave and blow kisses to a family member from outside the Douglas County Health Center in Omaha on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.

A woman walks a dog as the sun sets on Elmwood Park in Omaha on Wednesday, April 08, 2020. Omaha has closed all city parks until April 30 to combat COVID-19. The trail system will remain open, but parking lots at trail heads are closed. People must walk or bike in.

Walking is still allowed at West Papio Trail. Omaha closed all city parks through April 30 to combat COVID-19. While trails and sidewalks remain open, everything else in the parks is closed. Groups larger than 10 people are prohibited, and people must keep a physical distance of 6 feet or more.

Kennedy Cascio has decorated her home's front door with a symbol for medicine and hearts. Cascio is an intensive care unit nurse at the Bellevue Medical Center and created the display to "show that I am thankful for everyone working on the frontlines," as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues. Photographed in Omaha on Wednesday, April 8, 2020.

A message is left along a fence at Lewis and Calrk Middle School in Omaha on Thursday, April 09, 2020. Omaha Public Schools have been closed since mid-March, with remote learning for all students, as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues.

Traffic signs on Dodge Street, near 168th, display self quarantine guideline suggestions on Monday, April 06, 2020.

A sparrow sit in its nest in the letter "g" in Walgreens sign at 5038 Center Street on Friday, April 10, 2020.

The rest is here:
Erin Grace: To see her adult son, this mother had to sneak by in costume - Omaha World-Herald