Covid 19 Antibody testing
We can now offer Covid 19 serum antibody testing.
Who should get tested? People who have had covid 19 like symptoms in the past, who have recovered and want to know if they already had the virus, have been exposed to or have immunity to the virus.
Patients MUST be asymptomatic for at least 7 days, without fever cough or other symptoms(To prevent exposure to lab personnel).
In the future we will be able to offer Finger stick at home collection kits. This is ideal as it will prevent travel and maintain social distancing as we determine your immune status.
To order the test, you will need to schedule a covid 19 screening virtual urgent visit with Dr. Kathy. The cost of visit is $56. The lab test at Heath Net Labs, a local provider is an additional out of pocket expense of $39. This is a competitive price for testing among local lab companies.
Please note that we do not want to expose lab testing sites to covid19. If you have a fever or acute symptoms associated with infection, you should be screened through your local health and hospital screening systems.
Please call our office if you are interested in this service.
Wild Health Podcast- Medical podcast that reviews emergency and medical management of COVID 19. THis is both an allopathic and integrative approach to the viral condition. The podcast reviews the majority of medical literature that has been and continues to be released on a daily basis during this pandemic.
Cases in Cumberland county 22. As of March 29, 2020
Cases in Pennsylvania: 3,394 (Increase of 643 since yesterday)
10% require hospitalization 4% require ICU 1-2% require mechanical ventilation.
This is affecting young and older individuals.
DR. KATHY STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE USE OF FACE MASKS! THEY ARE BEING USED IN MANY COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THOSE WHERE INFECTION RATES ARE LEVELING OFF! PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING YOUR OWN OR WEARING ONE IN PUBLIC PLACES. ESPECIALLY AT PLACES LIKE THE GROCERY STORE. PLEASE DO NOT USE OUTSIDE RESTROOMS, AS THE INFECTION IS ALSO TRANSMITTED THROUGH URINE AND STOOL. THESE AREAS ARE DIFFICULT TO SANITIZE COMPLETELY.
Helpful website links:
World health organization, regarding survival of COVID 19 on surfaces and environmental temperature changes:
https://www.who.int/csr/sars/s...
CDC monitoring websites in Pennsylvania:
https://www.health.pa.gov/topi...
John's Hopkin's university global tracking website:
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/ma...
By the middle of April we hope to OFFER a finger stick serum test to our patients to test for antibodies, implying acute infection, or past infection and recovery from COVID 19!
Interesting Facts:
Anosmia or lack of the sense of smell may be one of the first signs that you have this virus. It also tended to be associated with a milder form of the disease
Gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea are common with this virus. It is communicable through stool, urine and likely sweat.
Gastrointestinal symptoms, may be a sign of patients with more likelihood of having severe disease.
The highest viral load is in the nose sinuses and back of the mouth
Droplets stay airborne for 3 hours! It is very contagious
80% of people have mild disease.
It may take 2 weeks for you to show symptoms after you have been exposed.
CLINICAL COURSE
From other front line physician workers- Classically a patient has an exposure, 5 days on average later they develop flu like symtpoms of headache, fever, body aches, dry cough, nausea without vomiting, abdominal discomfort, some diarrhea, loss of smell, decreased appetite and fatigue.
Severe symptoms, most commonly occur on Day 10. This translates to 5 days after symptoms develop.....if they are going to occur. If you develop increased shortness of breath, seek care immediately. Most people DO NOT develop severe symptoms.
Prevention:
Wash your hands, with soap and water for 20 seconds
This Virus is also transmitted through urine and feces- AVOID PUBLIC RESTROOMS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!
Use hand sanitizer 3-4 pumps and rub all surfaces of the your hands Friction is important!
Limit exposure to other individuals, preferably keeping at least a 6-8 foot distance from other people.
Mask- Make your own!. Check out my facebook post and sample creation. Although we do not want to use the medical community supply of masks, we still want to protect ourselves and our community. This virus is highly communicable In the air and remains in the air for up to 3 hours. Decreasing respiratory droplets can prevent the spread of this virus. This is one of the ways that China and Singapore have contained their spread of the virus. Properly dispose of or wash your mask/bandana etc. when you are done
Doff all clothing that may be exposed before you enter your home. This means- leave your coat outside or in the garage. Wash hands immediately and take your shoes off before entering your home.
Be mindful of your mail and packages. Virus particles can live on cardboard for up to 24 hours and on plastic for 3 days or longer. Only bring what is necessary into your home. Sort your mail outside! And leave packaging in outside garbage cans. Wipe down plastic with Clorox or other sanitizing wipes if possible.
Clean frequently used surfaces regularly!
Visit your doctor Virtually!- Decrease outings to areas that are higher risk of transmitting infectious disease, this includes the doctor, dentist, orthodontist and others.
IF you get sick, you may want a pulse oximeter. Levels of oxygen below 93% should prompt a visit to the Emeregency department.
Keep your immune system balanced!
Sleep- Go to sleep by 10 pm the latest. Aim for 7-8 hours per night of uninterrupted sleep
Keep bright lights out of the bedroom and turn your WIFI and cellphones off or in airplane mode while you are sleeping.
Decrease stress- Find time for relaxation and things you enjoy. Music, hobbies, stretching, meditation.
Exercise- Aim for 30 minutes per day, mix cardiovascular training with strength training. Do not overdo it, because exercise is also stress
Connection- Connect with your family and friends, using social media or other safe but distant forms of communication.
Immune support supplements!
PLEASE NOTE- The coronavirus is new or novel. Therefore we are learning many things on a daily basis about how to manage it. We are learning that functional medicine tools are valuable, BUT they are not known to prevent or cure an infection. IT IS OUR BODY"S IMMUNE SYSTEM that is responsible for our response to this infection. Because of this aggressive medical intervention may be needed in severe presentations. Do not rely on herbs or supplements. The list below is supplements that I personally feel are beneficial to support healthy immune system. They are not intended to diagnose treat or cure any condition, but just suggestions from working in the functional medicine world.
Vitamin C
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Zinc
Andrographis
Elderberry and Echinacea ( Be careful if autoimmune)
Probiotics
N acetylcysteine
L lysine
Propolis
Astragalus
Scutellaria
Curcumin/Ginger
Quercitin
CURRENT MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS:
THERE IS NO CURE (Except your immune system). There is no vaccine.....yet!
AVOID IBUPROFEN- This is a recent suggestion, as some clinicians have found that it has had a negative impact on some patients affected by Coronavirus.
In this case I would suggest the use of Tylenol. (We know that Tylenol decreases glutathione stores, so supplementation with NAC or glutathione may be beneficial if you need to use Tylenol during an infection).
Hydroxychloroquine (plaquenil) 200 mg three tabs daily in conjunction with Zithromax has been found to have some efficacy
Antiviral medications- Antiretroviral medications (HIV medications) as well as other traditional anti flu medications.
Remdesivir - Ebola drug from Gilead, that may have some efficacy in the treatment of this virus
They are doing a current study on IV vitamin C in China to see if this is an effective adjunctive treatment in the cytokine release occurs with this reaction. Many Doctors in New York are also dosing with 1.5 g of vitamin C four times daily in their patients as well.
CORONA VIRUS
As the coronavirus is likely to be transmitted in the United states please be mindful of any infectious illness that you may have. If you are having symptoms and have a scheduled appointment please notify our staff. We may reschedule or consider switching to a virtual visit, for your convenience, safety and health of staff and patients.
Dr. Kathy wrote a blog post regarding the coronavirus, which is available on facebook as well as on the website blog page.
If you have any questions regarding safe supplementation, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Kathy
Be wise and be well!
The program will include lab analysis, weight and BMI determinations at the onset of the program, with concluding labs and body metric assessments following the interventions.
Group oriented nutritional and lifestyle interventions will be offered.
The program will be co-taught with health coach Rebecca Johnson, who recently completed functional medicine training through IFM.
If you have interest in this program, more details will be available in the next few few weeks!
Go to events on our website for more details regarding this program.
Be wise and be well!
Now offering Virtual visits!
Be wise be well Center for Holistic Medicine can now offer virtual visits. This is available for Pennsylvania residents. It is a convenient service for those who wish to follow up but not travel. These visits will be approved by DR. Kathy. Not all patient can follow up remotely, but if your case is eligible we will gladly offer this convenience. Dr. Kathy requires patients to be seen and physically present in the office at least 1 time per year. Please let us know if you are interested in this service.
Be Wise Be Well Center for Holistic Medicine will be Closed from December 21- January 1. We will be opening for regular business hours on January 2, 2020. If you have a concern regarding your care please reach out to our phone lines or our office portal, where Dr. Kathy will receive messages.
To all of our clients at the Center for Holistic Medicine: We wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays with your Family and friends. We are grateful for our community and the relationships that we have formed with you. We are looking forward to a happy and healthy new year and serving you!
Be wise and be well!
Dr. Kathy
Center for Holistic Medicine will be starting a new closed facebook community.
If you have interest click the facebook link on our website and request a membership. The group is bewisebewell. This will be a private community geared toward clients at the Be wise Be well Center for Holistic Medicine.
The plan is to host several detoxification and activity programs throughout the year to help members support their goals. In addition, we will provide a platform for families with autism in our community to connect and share their experiences.
Please be patient in the first couple of months as we are setting up the group.
Be wise and be well!
12/11/2019
WELLEVATE and EMERSON QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM!
Although I use many products from different supplement companies, I have found that the Wellevate/Emerson Ecologics Company has served my clients well over the last few years.
I thought I would share this with my clients who have been supporting our practice with the purchase of supplements from our on line store.
If you know me and supplement recommendations, I am very careful to vet companies that dispense quality supplements.
I always knew that Emerson and wellevate had a quality assurance program, and recently reviewed their standards more closely.
A Gold Seal means that every lot of every ingredient has been third party tested and Emerson has site checked the supplement company. This is the best review you can get. Having this when you are looking at supplements is incredibly valuable.
A Silver Seal from the Emerson Quality program implies that the products are produced under good manufacturing processes, and they also have enhanced testing that exceeds the FDA requirement.
In general the Wellevate and Emerson on line store promotes the use of Good manufacturing processes products. I personally have valued their recommendation and use that to help guide me in choosing safer supplements for my clients!
If you are a client at the Center for Holistic medicine we apply discounts to many products. If you are a client and would like to have this opportunity, ask about it at your next visit!
Be wise and be well!