01/17/2022
Dear Patients,
As your healthcare providers, we wanted to provide you with an update with all that is happening here with Omicron. We are here to serve you best with your healthcare needs during this time and always. We are short staffed due to our team members not feeling well. few being positive with covid-19. We are doing our very best in providing the best health care we can with the resources we have.
We thank you in advance for being patient and understanding.
we hope the information below will help you put your mind at ease and help answer some of your questions.
WHEN to test
It takes three to seven days to turn positive after exposure. There is no point running to test the day after you are exposed. That test will probably be negative and there is a false sense of security and risk of spreading the virus. The time to test is DAY FIVE OR IF YOU HAVE ONSET OF SYMPTOMS. Tests are in short supply (although you can come do the car swab) and we should be using them wisely. This, of course, doesn’t include tests for procedures or travel or visiting/caring for a family member. Those are valid reasons
Vaccines
Yes, vaccines prevent serious illness. No, there is no guarantee that if you are vaccinated you won’t catch it or get sick. But the vaccine does protect you from becoming very ill AND makes you less likely to shed the virus to others if you do get sick. Yes, you should get a booster. You are eligible for a booster if you got Pfizer or Moderna five months after the second vaccine. If you got J & J, two months after the vaccine and it is recommended that you do the booster with Moderna or Pfizer. Kids 12 and up can do a booster with Pfizer (the only one available for kids at this point) five months after the second dose. Kids 5 -12 can finally do vaccines and should do two doses (they are smaller doses) of the Pfizer vaccine. They have not commented on boosters for this age group, but it’s probably because it hasn’t been five months yet.
OMICRON IS EVERYWHERE! But we are all lucky that omicron is not a ruthless version of this virus. Most victims are just getting bad flu-like symptoms (if vaccinated) and are improving within five to seven days. This is a very contagious version of Covid 19/SARS. If you have symptoms and need to test, we are still doing (numerous) car swab visits daily. Results are back within about 24-48 hours. There are test sites all over as well. And you can do a home test .
QUARANTINE/ISOLATION
CDC rules are: IF you tested positive you should stay home and isolate as much as possible for FIVE days. If your symptoms are improving (or you had very few symptoms) and you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours, you can return to usual activities as long as you are wearing a protective mask. If you are EXPOSED to covid there are two groups. Vaccinated and/or boosted in the last six months: wear a mask regularly for 10 days and do a test on day 5 after exposure. Unvaccinated or no vaccine for more than 6 months (i.e., not boosted): stay home for FIVE days (if possible) and continue to mask another five days. Get a test on day 5. If it is IMPOSSIBLE to stay home, be sure to mask and get tested on day 5.
Omicron is extremely contagious This means that single layer cloth masks are not really that helpful. You need a surgical level paper mask (that’s most of them), a double layer cloth mask, or an N95 (without a valve). Cloth masks should be washed after being worn for the day.
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT
The original monoclonal antibody treatments are not as effective for treating omicron, however, there is a newer version that arrived in the ER last week. There is very little supply right now so they are following strict guidelines for who can receive it.
Here they are: you must be 60 years old or older; you must have a documented positive test (not just an exposure); mild/moderate symptoms (if you are severe and need admission or O2 you are excluded); symptoms of less than 10 days; agree to receive the medication (it’s still just emergency approval); and you must either have severe underlying health issues or be immunocompromised.
In-office
Each room is thoroughly being disinfected as well as our waiting room which we always do but now with covid-19 we have added extra disinfectant. Our chairs in our lobby are still social distancing.
We are keeping up with all the CDC guidelines and protocols along with testing and Covid-19 Testing guidelines.
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html
Our office hours will remain the same so we are available for all our patients like we have always been for the last 33 years. We are turning our phones off at about 4:15pm so our staff can catch up on all the messages that we are receiving due to Covid-19. We encourage everyone to please utilize our website, patient portal and our page for all practice updates. We ask you do not walk into the office if you are having any symptoms so we can keep our in-house patients that are here for well visits safe as well as our physicians, PA’s and Staff . Call the office at (480) 899-2900.
We understand frustrations and fear are at its peak again and we are here to help. Your healthcare providers are here for each one of you every step of the way. Here at EVFP we are prepared to help you through it.
We have taken the precautions and followed all necessary guidelines to keep all of you safe while you are here with us. Our patients are our priority. Our team of physicians and healthcare professionals are standing by. We have provided Compassionate care across generations and we will continue to do so with each patient every time. Take care everyone!
Sincerely,
Sheema F. Dean
Practice Administrator
East Valley Family Physicians P.L.C.
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