Dear HealthCare 365 Family,
We hope you are all doing well and want to remind you that you can call our main office line to reach Rhonda and the medical team if you need us or have any questions.
If you are having difficulty breathing or experiencing other severe symptoms please call 911 immediately.
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A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM DR. KOHUT
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We continue to follow the directives from the College of Physicians and Surgeons on maintaining virtual care as the dominant way of providing care to you, with physical evaluation done when required in the office. In a recent survey, The Canadian Medical Association has found that most Canadians are very pleased with Virtual Health Care delivery and see this as a positive ongoing addition and option in their future care.
At HealthCare 365, we are lucky that we already had a level of virtual care as part of our practice so this was not too foreign to any of us. We welcome your feedback on how moving towards more virtual care has been for you.
Administrative Update
When the offices closed at the end of March for COVID precautions, many of you had Periodic Health Evaluations booked in April, May and now in June. As these are not urgent or mandatory for your care we pushed these appointments forward a few months until the COVID situation was more clear. Many of you are now getting automated reminders for your upcoming Periodic Health Examinations. Studies have shown that yearly physicals are not necessary. They can and do provide an opportunity to have a longer discussion on general health matters, and an opportunity to ask questions.
Going forward, the following process will be used for those individuals who desire, or those we advise, should have a Periodic Health Examination. This process continues to keep you and our staff safe and manages the requirements of infection control.
- Please call Rhonda to book a virtual consult with me. It can be by phone or video.
- Following the virtual consult, depending on what we discuss, Rhonda may book a clinic appointment to have blood taken for laboratory tests. A physical evaluation will be done by Tanya or myself and you will be reminded of the new office protocols.
- Once the lab results are received, another virtual consult will be booked to review them.
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COVID-19 UPDATE
If you have been tested for COVID, or think you should be tested, please reach out to your care coordinator. Any person exhibiting at least one symptom (even if mild) should be tested, provided that the symptoms aren’t associated with an underlying cause (e.g., allergies, post-nasal drip, etc.)
You can now self-refer to an Assessment Centre; a recommendation from a health-care provider is no longer required.
How to stop the spread
Population testing, tracing contacts, isolation strategies, and mandatory use of cloth face coverings in public places can keep the epidemic suppressed while minimizing the need for damaging physical distancing measures (Lancet, June 2, 2020)
Contact Tracing
Try to keep track of everyone you come in close contact with. The OMA has released this document about contact tracing and this journal to help you out.
How do we assess cleared from COVID?
Symptomatic individuals are considered clear 14 days after symptom onset, as long as they do not have a fever and symptoms are improving for at least 72 hours.
Asymptomatic-positive individuals are considered clear 14 days after the specimen collection date, provided that no symptoms have appeared.
Repeat re-testing is no longer routinely recommended but may be appropriate in certain cases, for example, hospital patients and healthcare providers.
Asymptomatic spread of COVID
Asymptomatic transmission of the virus remains a concern. Asymptomatic carriers can incubate for up to 25 days before showing symptoms.
Numerous studies are looking at viral spread through non-respiratory routes, such as fecal contact, eye/tear contact, public baths, and saunas. Viral shedding post-infection can also last up to 54 days raising more questions about passing on infection.
Treatment
- A recent study (JAMA, June 3, 2020) showed that giving plasma containing antibodies from recovered COVID patients did not significantly improve the time to clinical improvement within 28 days.
- Hydroquinalone shows NO benefit in preventing disease in patients exposed to COVID.
With the warm weather finally upon us, enjoy being outside and the reopening of our social lives. Maintain Social distance and please wear a mask when social distancing is difficult. Wash your hands with soap and water repeatedly and often during the day and after contact with external surfaces.
Stay safe, stay well, stay healthy and stay in touch!
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SHARED FROM OUR COMMUNITY
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Have you come across any articles, recipes, or ideas you think we should share with the rest of the HealthCare 365 community? Send them over so we can include them in next week's Help Me Rhonda!
HOW SMART IS YOUR RIGHT FOOT?
- While sitting on a chair, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.
- While doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand.
- Your foot will change direction!
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Science for Kids: Make Germs Scatter
Kids will be amazed at this simple science demonstration that shows how using soap when washing hands literally makes "germs" scatter.
WATCH NOW
Updated COVID-19 Symptoms
The Ontario Ministry of Health has updated the symptoms which have been most commonly associated with COVID19.
READ NOW
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If you have any questions please call our office and speak to our staff.
Wishing you health, safety and enjoyable family time!
The HealthCare 365 Team
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