Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020 by Jim Miller Why High Blood Pressure is Even More Dangerous in the COVID-19 Era Dear Savvy Senior, Are people with high blood pressure at increased risk of getting coronavirus? Hypertensive Helen Dear Helen, If you have high blood pressure, you defi nitely need to take extra care to protect yourself during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Research shows that people with hypertension are more susceptible to getting COVID-19, are more likely to develop severe symptoms if they do get sick, and are more likely to die from the infection, especially if they’re older. High Risk Links A weaker immune system is the key reason people with high blood pressure and other health problems are at higher risk for coronavirus. Long-term health conditions and aging weaken the immune system so it’s less able to fi ght off the virus. Nearly two-thirds of Americans over 60 have high blood pressure. Another concern that has been circulating, but was put to rest last month, were theories that the medications that are commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure – ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) – could make patients more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, and more susceptible to severe illness if they did become infected. But new research published in The New England Journal of Medicine last month found no risk linked to these medications. COVID Complications While pneumonia is the most common complication of the virus, it can also damage the cardiovascular system. That’s why people with high blood pressure, heart disease, and heart failure are at risk. High blood pressure damages arteries and reduces the fl ow of blood to your heart. That means your heart has to work harder to pump enough blood. Over time, this extra work can weaken your heart to the point where it can’t pump as much oxygen-rich blood to your body. Coronavirus can also damage the heart directly, which can be especially risky if your heart is already weakened by the eff ects of high blood pressure. The virus may cause infl ammation of the heart muscle, which makes it harder for the heart to pump. If you also have plaque buildup in your arteries, the virus may make those plaques more likely to break apart and cause a heart attack. Studies have shown that people with heart disease who get a respiratory illness like the fl u or earlier types of coronavirus are at higher risk for a heart attack. What to Do? While everyone needs to take precautions to prevent coronavirus, people with high blood pressure and other health conditions need to be extra careful. The best way to avoid getting sick is to stay home as much as you can. If you have to go out, wear a mask and keep at least 6 feet away from other people. And every time you come home, wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Also, clean and disinfect all frequently touched surfaces like cell phones, countertops and doorknobs. The CDC also recommends that you have enough medicine on hand to treat high blood pressure and other health conditions. And stock up on over-the-counter medicines to treat a fever and other symptoms if you get sick. While a coronavirus vaccine isn’t available yet, you should stay up to date on your other important vaccines. The pneumococcal vaccines – Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 23 – will prevent you from catching pneumonia on top of coronavirus. Also get a fl u shot in September or early October. Its symptoms are easy to confuse with coronavirus, which could make it harder for doctors to diagnose you if you do get sick. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE: The House and Senate continued to hold remote sessions with just a handful of members in the chambers in order to avoid spreading COVID-19. Most members watched and listened to the debate from their home or business offi ce through their computers and voted via phone. Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives' and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of June 22-26. $1.1 BILLION FOR COVID-19 RESPONSE (H 4802) House 158-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would provide $1.1 billion to cover expenses related to response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Charlie Baker has been urging the Legislature to quickly get a spending bill to his desk because the state cannot be eligible for federal reimbursements for costs related to the respiratory virus until a package is approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor. The package includes $350 million for personal protective equipment; $139 million in increased rates and addons for human service providers; $93 million for human service provider incentive pay; $85 million for fi eld hospitals and shelters; $44 million for contact tracing efforts, and more funding for child care providers, food security programs, emergency housing, and “a dedicated fund to address statewide eff orts on racial disparities in COVID health care access.” “Today we are taking one step closer and helping relieve the fi nancial burden that COVID-19 has infl icted while also helping some prepare for the coming months, as the virus continues to inflict pain and with a vaccine still a ways away from being a reality,” said House Ways and Means chair Rep. Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston). “Collectively, these pieces represent a broad range of items that will help a wide variety of people and organizations that have been disproportionately aff ected by the COVID-19 outbreak.” Michlewitz continued, “As the federal government is inundated with reimbursement requests, it is vital that we maximize our options and take advantage of the FEMA funds while we can. That is why it is so critical that we pass this today and get it closer to the governor’s desk, so that we do not fall far behind other states in the race for federal reimbursement.” “As you can imagine, since COVID-19, calls to the helpline have increased exponentially as thousands of people are in need of health care for the first time,” said Rep. Christine Barber (D-Somerville). I know many of us have relied on the helpline to aid our constituents, and the funding in this bill helps to increase the capacity to help people who lost their job and their employer-sponsored coverage and need help finding insurance coverage for the first time. They’re helping people who have never had coverage but because of the crisis are now trying to enroll.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes CONSOLIDATED AMENDMENT (H 4802) House 156-2, approved a “consolidated amendment” to the $1.1 billion COVID-19 bill. Members filed 130 amendments to the bill, but only one was voted on individually. Three amendments were withdrawn by their sponsors and the other 126 were rolled into this one big consolidated amendment. Most of the items in the consolidated amendment were earmarks for individual local cities and towns to cover expenses related to their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The funding allocated in the amendment will support schools, address food insecurity and emergency housing assistance, and provide essential public health resources, like personal protective equipment, to districts across the commonwealth— which are especially critical now during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Rep. Christine Barber (D-Somerville). “I am also hapBeacon Hill Roll Call py to see needed funds dedicated to Early Education and Care, which is a major cornerstone of our state’s reopening process.” Reps. Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica) and Nicholas Boldyga (R-Southwick) were the only two members to vote against the amendment. Despite repeated attempts by Beacon Hill Roll Call, Lombardo and Boldyga did not respond when asked for the reasons they voted against the amendment. (A “Yes” vote is for the consolidated amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes MAKE JUNETEENTH A STATE HOLIDAY (H 4802) House 158-0, approved an amendment that would make Juneteenth Independence Day an offi cial state holiday. Juneteenth, derived from the date June 19th, marks the day—June 19, 1865—that enslaved African Americans in Texas fi nally received word from Union Army General Gordon Granger that they were free, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves. News of, and enforcement of, Lincoln’s proclamation relied on the advancement of union troops which were slow to reach Texas and enforcement had been slow and inconsistent prior to Granger’s announcement in Galveston, Texas. “This is a real important day,” said Rep. Bud Williams (D-Springfi eld), the sponsor of the amendment. “We fi led this in solidarity with [the] Black Lives Matter [movement]. In terms of making this state holiday, it will go a long way in bridging the racial gap between individuals. Certainly, we’ve tried this many, many times. And this is part of Black history. And you can’t talk about the American history without talking about Black history. And most individuals in the commonwealth have no idea what Black history is.” “Today, we are making a tremendous pivot and truly delivering freedom to the African Americans with this amendment,” said Rep. Chynah Tyler (D-Roxbury). “Although this is the beginning of the road, I’m committed to helping us as a team deliver a more equitable commonwealth for African Americans.” “Juneteenth celebrates the breaking of the chains of enslavement of Black Americans,” said Rep. Nika Elugardo (D-Jamaica Plain). “It is fi tting that BEACON | SEE PAGE 17
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