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COVID-19
Our bodies are strong and will mostly be able to fight this illness effectively!
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June 22, 2020 Update
Information about scheduling appointments, insurance, covid-19 management, and upcoming vacations at Sunshine Family Healthcare
People who are healthy can schedule in-person appointments. Beginning Wednesday, June 24, 2020, and lasting at least three weeks, we are all required to wear a mask when in an indoor public space. 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 has so far been 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, if they are to be billed to insurance. 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.
The screenings and methods for slowing the spread of Covid-19 are not perfect, and there are many opinions about the best way to participate. We are following these guidelines for a few reasons. We wish to remain in compliance with state and local guidance so we can continue to operate, and keep ourselves healthy. If any SFH staff get sick with symptoms that might be Covid-19, the practice has to stop in-person care for two weeks minimum. If someone is here, then tests positive for Covid-19 within two weeks, we have to close for in-person care until we all test negative for Covid-19 twice in a row a few days apart, or two weeks pass with no one showing symptoms. Key factors that make it more likely for any of us to have Covid-19 include: travel in the last two weeks; being around someone who has it; new onset of symptoms, especially headache, new cough, sore throat, and/or fever.
Even with all of the procedural precautions we have adopted, there remains the possibility that Dr. Flanagan or 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.
VACATION
And to help Dr. Flanagan and staff stay healthy, we will be taking a summer vacation from August 22nd-31st! During at least part of that time, Dr. Flanagan will be in the backcountry seeing beautiful sights and swimming in mountain lakes, and will be unavailable even by phone. Please plan visits and refill needs accordingly. There will be a back-up physician available but that person will not be asked to refill controlled substances, and will only be meeting urgent needs by phone.
Thank you for your attention and conversation as we all move through this together. Continue to focus on the basics:
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. It is possible that if someone sneezed on a table, then another person touched the table and put their hand in their eye, nose, or mouth, they could contract the disease that way as well.
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 AND contact with a possibly infected individual (someone with a travel history that puts them in contact with an area or person with known cases) then we are directed to refer that person to the county health department for testing.
DIAGNOSIS
At this time, only the county and state health departments have access to the test kits for COVID-19 virus. Local doctors and hospitals do not have them. We do have kits to diagnose many other causes of viral and bacterial upper respiratory illness, and if those are positive for cause of disease then we can worry less about corona virus infection.
PREVENTION
Prevention of illness is the same for all other upper respiratory illnesses. Stay home if you are sick! Wear a mask to prevent respiratory droplets traveling out into the air when you cough or sneeze. Wash your hands frequently and do not touch your face. Use antimicrobial hand gels when you are not near a sink. Warm water and soap are more effective.
Basic 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:
Methylated multivitamin
Selenium 200mcg per day (specifically helpful for COVID-19)
Astragalus 60 drops up to 4 times per day for adults (specific for COVID-19)
Anti-virals: Wellness Formula, Super Bio Vegetarian, Mushroom Complex, etc.
Gargle with salt water or apple cider vinegar twice daily
Elderberry syrup 1 tsp 3-4 times per day
Daily probiotic
Vitamin A - high dose
Vitamin D - high dose
Hydrotherapy
The list is long…..and can be tailored to your specific health.
TREATMENT
Similar to prevention supplements but in higher doses for short times. If you have the onset of symptoms consistent with upper respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness-of-breath specifically), please contact your provider by phone. Arrangements to consult by phone with the doctor and arrange 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 website has reliable information about where there are confirmed cases and what testing is available. Try to 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, covid-19 management, and upcoming vacations at Sunshine Family Healthcare
People who are healthy can schedule in-person appointments. Beginning Wednesday, June 24, 2020, and lasting at least three weeks, we are all required to wear a mask when in an indoor public space. 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 has so far been 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, if they are to be billed to insurance. 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.
The screenings and methods for slowing the spread of Covid-19 are not perfect, and there are many opinions about the best way to participate. We are following these guidelines for a few reasons. We wish to remain in compliance with state and local guidance so we can continue to operate, and keep ourselves healthy. If any SFH staff get sick with symptoms that might be Covid-19, the practice has to stop in-person care for two weeks minimum. If someone is here, then tests positive for Covid-19 within two weeks, we have to close for in-person care until we all test negative for Covid-19 twice in a row a few days apart, or two weeks pass with no one showing symptoms. Key factors that make it more likely for any of us to have Covid-19 include: travel in the last two weeks; being around someone who has it; new onset of symptoms, especially headache, new cough, sore throat, and/or fever.
Even with all of the procedural precautions we have adopted, there remains the possibility that Dr. Flanagan or 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.
VACATION
And to help Dr. Flanagan and staff stay healthy, we will be taking a summer vacation from August 22nd-31st! During at least part of that time, Dr. Flanagan will be in the backcountry seeing beautiful sights and swimming in mountain lakes, and will be unavailable even by phone. Please plan visits and refill needs accordingly. There will be a back-up physician available but that person will not be asked to refill controlled substances, and will only be meeting urgent needs by phone.
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.
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. It is possible that if someone sneezed on a table, then another person touched the table and put their hand in their eye, nose, or mouth, they could contract the disease that way as well.
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 AND contact with a possibly infected individual (someone with a travel history that puts them in contact with an area or person with known cases) then we are directed to refer that person to the county health department for testing.
DIAGNOSIS
At this time, only the county and state health departments have access to the test kits for COVID-19 virus. Local doctors and hospitals do not have them. We do have kits to diagnose many other causes of viral and bacterial upper respiratory illness, and if those are positive for cause of disease then we can worry less about corona virus infection.
PREVENTION
Prevention of illness is the same for all other upper respiratory illnesses. Stay home if you are sick! Wear a mask to prevent respiratory droplets traveling out into the air when you cough or sneeze. Wash your hands frequently and do not touch your face. Use antimicrobial hand gels when you are not near a sink. Warm water and soap are more effective.
Basic 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:
Methylated multivitamin
Selenium 200mcg per day (specifically helpful for COVID-19)
Astragalus 60 drops up to 4 times per day for adults (specific for COVID-19)
Anti-virals: Wellness Formula, Super Bio Vegetarian, Mushroom Complex, etc.
Gargle with salt water or apple cider vinegar twice daily
Elderberry syrup 1 tsp 3-4 times per day
Daily probiotic
Vitamin A - high dose
Vitamin D - high dose
Hydrotherapy
The list is long…..and can be tailored to your specific health.
TREATMENT
Similar to prevention supplements but in higher doses for short times. If you have the onset of symptoms consistent with upper respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness-of-breath specifically), please contact your provider by phone. Arrangements to consult by phone with the doctor and arrange 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 website has reliable information about where there are confirmed cases and what testing is available. Try to 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
