AAP Education & COVID-19

In these unsettling days and months, AAP Education would like to assure our members and partners that we are monitoring the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) information and advice closely. As you will be aware the situation is constantly evolving all around the world and the health and wellbeing of the AAP Education tribe is paramount and will be at the forefront of any decisions made. We had to cancel the Level 1 and Level 2 Fascial Manipulation courses due to travel departure bans in northern Italy preventing Julie from leaving. Julie is fine and was keen to come if she could have left Italy. We are tentatively planning rescheduled courses later in 2020. You can reply email to me if you are keen to attend.

With respect to upcoming events, these will go ahead as planned, unless we receive contrary medical advice. To review our course and event schedule, click here. Keep an eye on your emails, including your Trash folder, f you are already enrolled in a course, to make sure you receive our latest updates.

• Epidemiologists say between 30 - 70% of the public will become infected. Here is the current Australian advice for those infected.
• Specific advice for those in WA, including clinics for virus testing.
• If you become unwell and think you may have symptoms of coronavirus, please avoid attending an event or public gathering until you seek medical attention. If you cannot see your GP, call the nationwide 24-hour COVID-19 hotline 1300 675 398.

We ask that all AAP Education members and corporate partners to practice high levels of hygiene as per the government guidelines. There is currently no vaccine for COVID19 and we encourage you to follow the WHO general recommendations to prevent the potential spread of infection:

1. Washing your hands often (and for 20 seconds) with soap and water
2. Cough into your elbow or use a tissue to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze
3. Avoiding close contact with others, such as touching, including shaking hands
4. Limiting contact with people who are sick, and staying home if you are sick and encourage employees to stay home when sick
5. Get 7-8 hours sleep a night (see Solid Sleep below)
6. Exercise regularly - good for both physical and mental strength
7. Spend time combining breathing and meditation to calm your mind - Wim Hoff Method (bubble breathing), Box Breathing, Progressive Muscular Relaxation, Yoga

One of our most popular blogs has turned out to be where you can receive free online training and resources for hand hygiene.

You can read more about protective measures against coronavirus on the World Health Organisation web information page.

Solid Sleep

One of the basic, but not mentioned methods of reducing the effect of, or chance of being infected is to get a solid 7 - 8 hours sleep each night. Sleep deprivation has a massive influence on the effectiveness or not, of our immune system. Participants that are sleep deprived are less likely to develop or will have a delayed adaptive immune response (1,). In addition to COVID19, this is also relevant for those that have an annual flu vaccination. If you haven't had adequate sleep leading up to and on the night of the flu injection, the likelihood your body will be able to respond to the viral stimulation and make sufficient antigens to be effective during the flu season is reduced.

It is important to appreciate that you can't bank sleep, nor catch it up once the opportunity has passed. Sleep is a recurrent physiological phenomenon, during which critical regulatory processes take place, including suppression of the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), with their respective effector hormones cortisol and adrenaline/noradrenaline - the so called stress hormone cycles (2). If people are not getting adequate sleep, their defensive immune mechanisms are reduced and their stress hormones are elevated, making them more vulnerable to viruses.

Travel Advice & Guidelines

Department of Health travel guidelines and other useful information.

Current Summary

• If you have left or transited through mainland China or Iran in the last 14 days, you must isolate yourself for 14 days from the date of leaving mainland China/Iran.
• If you have left or transited through the Republic of Korea on or after 5 March 2020 you must isolate yourself for 14 days after the date of leaving the Republic of Korea.
• If you have left or transited through Italy on or after 11 March 2020 you must isolate yourself for 14 days after the date of leaving Italy
• If you have been in close contact with a proven case of coronavirus, you must isolate yourself for 14 days from the date of last contact with the confirmed case.

References

1. Bryant PA, Trinder J, Curtis N: Sick and tired: Does sleep have a vital role in the immune system?. Nat Rev Immunol. 2004, 4 (6): 457-67. 10.1038/nri1369. (pdf)

2. Lange T, Dimitrov S, Born J: Effects of sleep and circadian rhythm on the human immune system. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2010, 1193 (1): 48-59. 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05300.x. (article)