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COVID-19
Our bodies are strong and will mostly be able to fight this illness effectively!
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January 20, 2021 Update
Information about scheduling appointments, insurance, and Covid-19 updates
People who are healthy can schedule in-person appointments. We are all required to wear a mask when in an indoor public space, including our clinic. We have masks available if you need one.
Telemedicine or telephone visits are available for anyone who prefers these options, or if you are sick. Insurance coverage for telemedicine visits is similar to in-person visits. However, some insurance companies have been giving us end dates for when they will no longer cover telemedicine visits. Determining these end dates for your specific insurance company and plan are ultimately your responsibility, though we will help as much as we can with the information available to us. Telemedicine visits cannot be done for people outside the state of Oregon at time of service. Coverage for phone visits varies depending on your plan, so please check with your company to determine coverage, and be prepared to pay our cash price if insurance does not cover the billed costs.
Testing for Covid-19 is readily available at this time in Oregon by going to any urgent care. It is best to call ahead to determine their policies and schedule a time.
Many providers are requiring Covid-19 testing prior to having an in-person visit. If you are needing a referral to a specialist, it is likely you will be required to be tested prior to that visit.
Even with all of the procedural precautions we have adopted, there remains the possibility that Dr. Flanagan and staff could test positive for Covid-19. Depending on the state of regulations and requirements at that time, this may cause the clinic to close for in-person care, as would any potentially serious contagious illness. We will do everything we can to keep this time to a minimum and stay in touch about developments as they come.
Thank you for your attention and conversation as we all move through this together.
Continue to focus on the basics:
Sleep at night
Eat healthy food
Get some exercise
And work on managing your stress.
All these will help your immune system stay strong!
Take care,
The Sunshine Family
TRANSMISSION
Corona viruses cause the common cold. This strain makes some people sicker than usual and has a higher death rate in vulnerable populations. Transmission is through respiratory droplets that travel through the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes.
SYMPTOMS
The initial symptoms are very similar to every cold and flu virus that travels through the population, and include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. At this time, if a person has these symptoms then testing is available.
DIAGNOSIS
There are many locations for accessing testing including local urgent cares and clinics. We can help coordinate this care for you. Call if you have symptoms or need to be tested for other reasons, including travel, or return to work.
PREVENTION:
Wash hands and do not touch your face
Eat healthy food with a minimum of sugar and processed foods
Sleep adequately - usually 7-8 hours per night for adults, and up to 12 hours or more at night for children
Hydrate with beverages that do not contain sugar or caffeine
Exercise to your tolerance
Do not smoke or put yourself in situations with second hand smoke as it is a potent immune suppressive and weakens the lungs
Supplements to discuss with your health care provider:
Methylated multivitamin
Selenium
Astragalus
Anti-viral herbs
Gargle with salt water or apple cider vinegar twice daily
Elderberry syrup
Daily probiotic
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Hydrotherapy
The list is long…..and can be tailored to your specific health.
TREATMENT
If you have the onset of symptoms consistent with upper respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness-of-breath, body ache), please contact your provider by phone. Arrangements to consult by phone with the doctor to help provide appropriate care will be made. Remember this is a viral infection and antibiotics will not help. In fact, they often weaken your own defenses and make you more susceptible to severe illness.
Most otherwise healthy people will experience COVID-19 like every other viral illness they have had in their life. If you have a weakened immune system for any reason including age, illness, immune suppression, lung problems, or chronic illness, among others, then this could be more serious for you and taking preventative measures is more important.
If you are prone to lung infections, you should be especially careful and report symptoms early, as this infection has a specificity for the lungs. There are things that can be done ahead to protect the lungs and decrease susceptibility.
Many over-the-counter medicines that are easily available, will both prolong illness and suppress your body’s ability to fight infection effectively. Do not suppress your fever, decrease your snot production, or give your body false energy by taking over-the-counter medicines. Those things will make it seem like you are less sick than you are, leading you to push yourself when you should be resting, and mask your symptoms, making both diagnosis and treatment more difficult. These medicines can prolong illness by decreasing your natural healing mechanisms. Contact your provider about when their use might be appropriate.
Contact your provider if you have questions, feel you are part of a vulnerable population, or have symptoms of illness. The CDC and OHA websites have information about cases counts and what testing is available. Avoid getting information from places that make you fearful and stressed. High stress levels increases your susceptibility to infection.
For updated information from the CDC please visit their website. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html
Information about scheduling appointments, insurance, and Covid-19 updates
People who are healthy can schedule in-person appointments. We are all required to wear a mask when in an indoor public space, including our clinic. We have masks available if you need one.
Telemedicine or telephone visits are available for anyone who prefers these options, or if you are sick. Insurance coverage for telemedicine visits is similar to in-person visits. However, some insurance companies have been giving us end dates for when they will no longer cover telemedicine visits. Determining these end dates for your specific insurance company and plan are ultimately your responsibility, though we will help as much as we can with the information available to us. Telemedicine visits cannot be done for people outside the state of Oregon at time of service. Coverage for phone visits varies depending on your plan, so please check with your company to determine coverage, and be prepared to pay our cash price if insurance does not cover the billed costs.
Testing for Covid-19 is readily available at this time in Oregon by going to any urgent care. It is best to call ahead to determine their policies and schedule a time.
Many providers are requiring Covid-19 testing prior to having an in-person visit. If you are needing a referral to a specialist, it is likely you will be required to be tested prior to that visit.
Even with all of the procedural precautions we have adopted, there remains the possibility that Dr. Flanagan and staff could test positive for Covid-19. Depending on the state of regulations and requirements at that time, this may cause the clinic to close for in-person care, as would any potentially serious contagious illness. We will do everything we can to keep this time to a minimum and stay in touch about developments as they come.
Thank you for your attention and conversation as we all move through this together.
Continue to focus on the basics:
Sleep at night
Eat healthy food
Get some exercise
And work on managing your stress.
All these will help your immune system stay strong!
Take care,
The Sunshine Family
TRANSMISSION
Corona viruses cause the common cold. This strain makes some people sicker than usual and has a higher death rate in vulnerable populations. Transmission is through respiratory droplets that travel through the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes.
SYMPTOMS
The initial symptoms are very similar to every cold and flu virus that travels through the population, and include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. At this time, if a person has these symptoms then testing is available.
DIAGNOSIS
There are many locations for accessing testing including local urgent cares and clinics. We can help coordinate this care for you. Call if you have symptoms or need to be tested for other reasons, including travel, or return to work.
PREVENTION:
Wash hands and do not touch your face
Eat healthy food with a minimum of sugar and processed foods
Sleep adequately - usually 7-8 hours per night for adults, and up to 12 hours or more at night for children
Hydrate with beverages that do not contain sugar or caffeine
Exercise to your tolerance
Do not smoke or put yourself in situations with second hand smoke as it is a potent immune suppressive and weakens the lungs
Supplements to discuss with your health care provider:
Methylated multivitamin
Selenium
Astragalus
Anti-viral herbs
Gargle with salt water or apple cider vinegar twice daily
Elderberry syrup
Daily probiotic
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Hydrotherapy
The list is long…..and can be tailored to your specific health.
TREATMENT
If you have the onset of symptoms consistent with upper respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness-of-breath, body ache), please contact your provider by phone. Arrangements to consult by phone with the doctor to help provide appropriate care will be made. Remember this is a viral infection and antibiotics will not help. In fact, they often weaken your own defenses and make you more susceptible to severe illness.
Most otherwise healthy people will experience COVID-19 like every other viral illness they have had in their life. If you have a weakened immune system for any reason including age, illness, immune suppression, lung problems, or chronic illness, among others, then this could be more serious for you and taking preventative measures is more important.
If you are prone to lung infections, you should be especially careful and report symptoms early, as this infection has a specificity for the lungs. There are things that can be done ahead to protect the lungs and decrease susceptibility.
Many over-the-counter medicines that are easily available, will both prolong illness and suppress your body’s ability to fight infection effectively. Do not suppress your fever, decrease your snot production, or give your body false energy by taking over-the-counter medicines. Those things will make it seem like you are less sick than you are, leading you to push yourself when you should be resting, and mask your symptoms, making both diagnosis and treatment more difficult. These medicines can prolong illness by decreasing your natural healing mechanisms. Contact your provider about when their use might be appropriate.
Contact your provider if you have questions, feel you are part of a vulnerable population, or have symptoms of illness. The CDC and OHA websites have information about cases counts and what testing is available. Avoid getting information from places that make you fearful and stressed. High stress levels increases your susceptibility to infection.
For updated information from the CDC please visit their website. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html
