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24 JUL / AUG 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs 4. How does obesity affect my respiratory system? A person with obesity carries excess chest and abdominal fat, and that extra weight puts pres- sure on their diaphragm, lungs, and chest cavity. This can lead to breathing problems and even lung damage. In simpler terms, a person with obesity can’t get enough oxygen. He or she can’t catch a (full) breath. It’s also possible that the extra weight may dam- age the diaphragm muscles. The respiratory sys- tem of a person with obesity is already laboring at a disadvantage before the added distress of a COVID-19 infection. With the infection, their blood oxygen levels could drop to near-fatal lev- els or fatal levels without them knowing. 5. How should I prepare for coronavirus if I have obesity? Follow the Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention guidelines. • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t available, use a hand sanitizer that’s at least 60 percent alcohol. • Avoid close contact with people who are sick, even at home. Stay at least 6 feet away from other people outside your home. Avoid crowds and large gatherings. • Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others. • Clean and disinfect frequently touched sur- faces – tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, etc. – every day. • Exercise. Change your diet. Lifestyle changes, like a daily workout routine or a better diet, can help you stay healthy. Check out Pen- nington Biomedical’s YouTube page or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for quick tips on exercise and eating healthy. Louisiana Healthcare Connections, Quest Diagnostics TeamUp to Increase Access to COVID-19 Testing Louisiana Healthcare Connections announced a collaboration with Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) to increase access to real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT- PCR) COVID-19 testing in critical areas of need in Louisiana. Through this collaboration, Louisiana Health- care Connections will facilitate the distribution of Quest COVID-19 test kits to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including CareSouth Medical and Dental in Baton Rouge and DePaul Community Health Centers in New Orleans. The FQHCs will conduct testing as part of a broader initiative to test individuals who are symptomatic and asymptomatic in Louisiana’s underserved communities. “COVID-19 testing is a critical component in Louisiana’s efforts to curb this epidemic,” said Matthew Valliere, CEO of CareSouth. “Testing allows us to quickly identify and respond to cases while helping to prevent future outbreaks. We appreciate Louisiana Healthcare Connections and Quest Diagnostics for sharing our commitment to providing COVID-19 testing to our state’s under- served populations.” “DePaul Community Health Centers is proud to have been selected to receive COVID-19 virus test kits, and applauds the efforts of Louisiana Healthcare Connections and Quest Diagnostics to combat this virus. Our inclusion in this process greatly aids our mission of helping underserved populations, and bodes well for ensuring that they do not miss this opportunity. This partner- ship demonstrates the local health care commu- nity’s willingness to join forces in times of need,” said Michael G. Griffin, president/CEO of DePaul Community Health Centers. This collaboration leverages Louisiana Health- care Connections’ network of critical safety net providers to ensure that testing capacity is routed to where it is needed most. Distribution of kits began May 6, and Quest Diagnostics will conduct the COVID-19 testing through its network of lab- oratories across the United States. “As Louisiana works to flatten the curve of COVID-19, these tests are a critical need, espe- cially at our state’s FQHCs and community health centers, which provide quality care to thousands of residents in underserved areas,” said Jamie Schlottman, CEO of Louisiana Healthcare Con- nections. “Collaborations like these allow us to do our part in making sure our state’s most vulner- able populations have access to testing services in the communities where they live and work.” “Louisiana’s Community Health Centers are literally serving on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19,” said Gerrelda Davis, execu- tive director of the Louisiana Primary Care Asso- ciation. “Unfortunately, this pandemic has had a disproportionate toll on our state’s underserved and minority populations. Our Community Health Center members, already positioned perfectly to serve these communities, have made it their mis- sion to expand access to COVID-19 testing. With support from Louisiana Healthcare Connections and Quest Diagnostics, CareSouth and DePaul Community Health Centers will be able to expand their testing capacity and more efficiently contain the spread of this virus.” Smoking Cessation Trust Encourages Louisiana Smokers to Quit Now World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is an annual program of the World Health Organization (WHO), which highlights the health risks associ- ated with tobacco use and advocates for effec- tive policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The focus of this year’s World No Tobacco Day, held May 31, was, “Protecting youth from indus- try manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and nicotine use.” The 2020 campaign is designed to increase awareness about the neg- ative impact tobacco is having on young peo- ple’s health. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing 480,000 people annually – more than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined. As the entire world faces the COVID-19 pandemic, it is especially important for smokers to take care of their health, so that they can avoid the substan- tially higher risk of COVID-19 progression. “Throughout this pandemic, it’s the most vul- nerable that have been severely impacted and have even died. Those less likely to survive coro- navirus include the frail elderly and individuals with chronic diseases and compromised immune systems,” said Juan J. Gershanik, MD, president, Orleans Parish Medical Society. “We also know that smokers and vapers are more vulnerable to viruses, like COVID-19, that attack the lungs.” “While observances like World No Tobacco Day are helpful in spreading our cessation messaging, we know that we still have a long way to go in