COVID-19

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0301-respiratory-virus.html

Updated 3/1/2024:  The CDC released today updated recommendations for how people can protect themselves and their communities from respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. The new guidance brings a unified approach to addressing risks from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV, which can cause significant health impacts and strain on hospitals and health care workers. CDC is making updates to the recommendations now because the U.S. is seeing far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 and because we have more tools than ever to combat flu, COVID, and RSV.

“Today’s announcement reflects the progress we have made in protecting against severe illness from COVID-19,” said CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen. “However, we still must use the commonsense solutions we know work to protect ourselves and others from serious illness from respiratory viruses—this includes vaccination, treatment, and staying home when we get sick.”

As part of the guidance, CDC provides active recommendations on core prevention steps and strategies:

• Staying up to date with vaccination to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. This includes flu, COVID-19, and RSV if eligible.
• Practicing good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
• Taking steps for cleaner air, such as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.

When people get sick with a respiratory virus, the updated guidance recommends that they stay home and away from others. For people with COVID-19 and influenza, treatment is available and can lessen symptoms and lower the risk of severe illness. The recommendations suggest returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication.

Once people resume normal activities, they are encouraged to take additional prevention strategies for the next 5 days to curb disease spread, such as taking more steps for cleaner air, enhancing hygiene practices, wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and/or getting tested for respiratory viruses. Enhanced precautions are especially important to protect those most at risk for severe illness, including those over 65 and people with weakened immune systems. CDC’s updated guidance reflects how the circumstances around COVID-19 in particular have changed. While it remains a threat, today it is far less likely to cause severe illness because of widespread immunity and improved tools to prevent and treat the disease.  Importantly, states and countries that have already adjusted recommended isolation times have not seen increased hospitalizations or deaths related to COVID-19.

While every respiratory virus does not act the same, adopting a unified approach to limiting disease spread makes recommendations easier to follow and thus more likely to be adopted and does not rely on individuals to test for illness, a practice that data indicates is uneven.

Updated 09-13-2023: FDA Authorizes Fall 2023 COVID-19 Booster for Persons 6 Months of Age and Older

The Food and Drug Administration on 9/11/2023 authorized an updated mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine. Broadway Medical Clinic is watching closely to see how soon these may be available for patients and will update this page as soon as we know more.

Updated 04-18-2023: FDA Authorized 2nd dose of Updated COVID-19 Booster for Adults and People w/ Weakened Immune Systems

The Food and Drug Administration on 4/18/2023 authorized a second dose of the updated Covid booster for older adults and people with weakened immune systems. The FDA’s decision will now be handed off to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has scheduled a meeting with its panel of outside advisers for Wednesday 4/19/23. If the panel votes in favor of the additional boosters, and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, signs off, immunizations could begin immediately.  Broadway Medical Clinic will follow the CDC’s recommendation.

Updated 04-18-2023: Interim COVID-19 Immunization Schedule for Persons 6 Months of Age and Older

There are new COVID-19 vaccination schedules based on age and medical condition and vaccine composition.  Please refer to the link for a full PDF table guide for complete information:

http://868.e6d.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/covid-19-immunization-schedule-ages-6months-older.pdf

Updated 04-18-2023:  What to Do If You Test Positive for COVID-19

Isolation keeps someone who is infected with COVID-19 away from others even in their own home. You need to isolate if you have symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19.

If you tested positive for COVID-19:

Isolate for at least 5 days after testing positive or from the time symptoms began AND

• You have been fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine
• Other symptoms have improved

During isolation you should:

• Stay home and away from others (even others in your home), except to get medical care
• If you cannot mask around others, isolate for a full 10 days

After the 5 days of isolation, you should wear a mask for an additional 5 days when you are around others. If you have been severely ill or are severely immunocompromised, you may be asked to isolate up to 20 days.  If you’re at high risk, call your provider and ask if treatment is right for you.

Once you have completed isolation, you can leave your house and return to work. Keep protecting yourself and others.

In the case of testing positive for COVID-19 you will want to tell people that were in close contact with you and tell your employer.

You can find all this information and more in the PDF link below:

http://868.e6d.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-19-What-to-do-if-you-test-postitive.pdf