Dev Mishra, M.D.
President, Sideline Sports Doc
Medical Director, Apeiron Life
Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Institute For Joint Restoration, Menlo Park, CA
December 29, 2020
I’d like to finish 2020’s blog posts with a simple message: if the goal is to get back to “normal” keep that goal in sight and please stay with 
the safety precautions you’ve taken up to this point.
“Covid fatigue”- feeling like you just want this to be over- is real. For many people this was especially evident around the end of year holidays. If you followed the CDC’s recommendation to avoid travel and family gatherings, it was easy to feel isolated. Or maybe you went ahead with the family gathering and now you’re a bit worried about possible virus exposure.
I’m certainly not here to judge anyone. Whichever path you’ve taken to this point I’d just like to strongly recommend that you continue to follow the key safety recommendations: wear a mask around others, stay at least six feet apart in public areas, and sanitize your hands.
This blog is mainly directed at folks who are interested in sports health, fitness and healthspan. With that in mind I also want to encourage you to fight Covid fatigue by taking care of yourself and continuing to find a way to safely exercise. It’s getting much harder to exercise outdoors in many parts of the country due to poor weather, so I hope you’ll find a way to safely do so indoors. Here’s a nice tip sheet from the American College of Sports Medicine.
Playing loose with the recommended guidelines can have very serious consequences for an athlete. Have a look at this story about the supremely talented Russian figure skaters, whose team has been decimated by the coronavirus. Several world class skaters have potentially permanent lung ailments. Their federation is being vague about the reasons for the high number of infected skaters, but it’s interesting to note that the U.S., Canadian, and Japanese federations have done remarkably well in comparison.
Please don’t let down your guard. Stay safe and keep the goal in sight.
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