I hope this update finds you well.
Vaccine News: Booster shots are currently available to those with a significantly compromised immune system EIGHT months after the second dose of the Pfizer (and soon Moderna) vaccines. No current plans for J&J boosters exist, but that information is evolving. Initial vaccine series is now available to everyone 12 years of age and older. To find vaccination sites near you, search vaccines.gov, text your zip to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233. Vaccines continue to be offered via public health departments, hospital systems and some private industry (pharmacies). A complete list of vaccine providers can be found here: https://vaccine.coronavirus.ohio.gov
Yes - I do recommend getting vaccinated! I honestly weigh the risks and benefits of anything I recommend and I have not encountered a situation where the natural COVID infection provides less risk than vaccination. I also believe in vaccination choice - both yours to get it or not and certain environments to require vaccines or not. Please feel free to set up a time to chat with me if you are having trouble navigating those choices.
Masks. Mask mandates are evolving daily depending on local spread and the status of the healthcare systems. Many hospitals are at threatened capacity to serve both those for COVID and other conditions. Many are at crisis standard of care levels, meaning they are aware that they are not able to meet the highest standard of care because of their capacity. This is the reason that community health measures are weighing more heavily - to protect YOUR access to the healthcare system. You should still continue to wear your mask in places that require or recommend it, especially indoors. These are typically decided based on the risk of gathering people from multiple households of a variety of ages, health risks and vaccination statuses. Keep in mind the relative risk of various environments: Large gathered crowds > small distanced gatherings of multiple households > outdoor distanced activities as an example and continue to layer protections that are reasonable to you. These may include distancing, masks, not touching commonly used surfaces, frequent handwashing, etc..
So, the Delta Variant… we are highly recommending that you get the COVID-19 vaccine to help protect yourself and others from getting infected. Research has shown that the Delta Variant is more contagious and has a higher transmissibility when compared to other variants. It is not necessarily more or less ”serious” in its ability to cause severe disease, but it tends to carry a higher infectious viral load (your body has to deal with a bigger dose at once) which is more difficult for the immune system. With this info, unvaccinated individuals still remain our biggest concern.
What we know right now is that vaccinated individuals are much less likely to be hospitalized, need ventilators or die if infected with COVID-19. Much like other viruses, our goal is not to guarantee we never get a virus. In fact the role of a vaccine is to quickly neutralize the virus when you are exposed. Our ultimate goal is to guarantee that the virus doesn’t cause long-term problems or death when you do get it and the vaccine is performing well in this way.
Columbus Health Department COVID-19 and Vaccine information is located here including links to other local health departments if you fall outside of the Columbus area.
Franklin County Public Health Department information can be found here.
Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccine info is located here including links to local health department information and CDC vaccine-related information for those outside the Columbus/Franklin County area.
Review the tips on making the vaccine the safest and most comfortable possible here.
Remember what do do when you get sick!
-Be prepared before you get sick. Sleep, hydration, healthy diet, decreasing stress, reasonable risk mitigation strategies can all build confidence in your immune system. Having a supply of your regular medication and supplements on hand, having an emergency fund for time off work, knowing who is going to help take care of you and your kids is ALL important for your health.
-Don’t blow off mild symptoms. Mask, stay away from others, practice self care and check in with healthcare professional for symptoms that you may think are allergies, other colds, etc. Quite frankly any sore throat, headache, runny nose, cough, body aches could represent early signs of COVID. You need time to let it evolve before knowing, so protect yourself and others in the meantime.
-Practice intense self care when ill: Isolate yourself, hydrate, rest, but walk around every hour, acetominophen, mucinex regularly, supplement protocol (ask us for details on this), deep breaths, sleeping on your belly.
-Know your treatment options: While the self care is the primary treatment, other options are there for more severe or evolving disease. Please check in early so we can help you determine this. Monoclonal antibody treatment is widely available in the central Ohio area - you can find more info here.
-The viral experience changes over time and multiple things can affect your course. It’s important to monitor temperature, blood pressure, pulse, pulse oximetry at home 2-3 times daily and check in with us every 1-2 days for us to match the most appropriate treatment to your situation.
Hope this update is helpful! Connect with us on social and send questions our way!
