COVID-19 is increasing in our community.
Please be careful.
Please be careful.
Take courage; the pandemic is not forever. Vaccination is moving ahead. More effective treatments are being developed. Please support your family and neighbors and protect our elders as we make it through these coming months.
Please follow the governor's orders and support others in doing so:
To slow the spread of COVID-19 in Vermont, you may not gather indoors with anyone you don’t live with. In addition,
Some useful links:
Governor's orders The Vermont Department of Health Community Resources
Click here for our update on vaccines on 3/4/2021
SCROLL DOWN FOR INFORMATION ON TESTING AND VACCINATION!
Please follow the governor's orders and support others in doing so:
To slow the spread of COVID-19 in Vermont, you may not gather indoors with anyone you don’t live with. In addition,
- if you travel outside of Vermont, you must follow quarantine requirements.
- if you have gathered with people you don’t live with, you should quarantine. The Health Department strongly encourages getting tested as soon as possible, and then tested again 7 days after exposure.
Some useful links:
Governor's orders The Vermont Department of Health Community Resources
Click here for our update on vaccines on 3/4/2021
SCROLL DOWN FOR INFORMATION ON TESTING AND VACCINATION!
How the Office is running in the Pandemic
- Walk- in time is closed
- Online scheduling through the portal is available only for Annual Wellness Visits and Well Child Visits.
- If you need to make an urgent appointment (meaning that you think you may need to be seen today,) then call your doctor's cell phone:
- If your need for an appointment is not urgent, please send your doctor a portal message, an email or call 888-421-6801 and select your doctor's extension to leave a message.
- Both video visit and in-office visits are available.
- If you are going to be seen at the office, we need to screen you for your risk for COVID-19. PLEASE complete the survey that comes with your appointment reminder 24-48 hours before your appointment. You can also access it by clicking here or on the link at the top of the page. If you do not, then we will need to call you and do it over the phone. If we cannot reach you, then your in-office appointment will be cancelled.
- When you arrive at the office, please remain in your car and call your doctor's cell phone. Please wear a mask. We will greet you at the door and have you sanitize your hands before entering. While you are in the office, please avoid unnecessarily touching surfaces. We will be disinfecting surfaces between appointments.
- We will only have one person at a time in the office, unless there is need for an essential companion or a parent.
- Please click here for video visit instructions
- Please click here to test your computer or phone for compatibility
- Video needs a strong cell signal or WiFi, so please plan ahead.
- Please take your blood pressure and weight before your visit, if possible, and complete and return any pre-visit forms that we have sent you.
- You will receive an invitation link at the time of your visit. It will come by email or text, whichever you let us know you prefer. If we are running late, then your invitation will arrive late. If you have not received an invitation by 15 minutes after your appointment time. Please text or call your doctor's cell phone.
How to get tested:
There are two place locally to get tested:
Health Department testing:
This testing is free of charge and you do not need a doctor's order.
Visit the COVID-19 Event Portal to sign up to get tested at the Bennington Pop Up Clinic
Do not go to a health department test site if you have symptoms.
They provide PCR testing of the nose (external nares.)
Results take 1-3 days to return.
Results do not go to your doctor, so please keep us posted.
Drive up testing at SVMC:
To be tested at the hospital, you need to contact us so we can send over an order, then you will be able to call and schedule in.
They also provide PCR testing of the nose (external nares.)
Results take 1-3 days to return.
Results are texted to you and we are sent a copy.
There are two place locally to get tested:
Health Department testing:
This testing is free of charge and you do not need a doctor's order.
Visit the COVID-19 Event Portal to sign up to get tested at the Bennington Pop Up Clinic
Do not go to a health department test site if you have symptoms.
They provide PCR testing of the nose (external nares.)
Results take 1-3 days to return.
Results do not go to your doctor, so please keep us posted.
Drive up testing at SVMC:
To be tested at the hospital, you need to contact us so we can send over an order, then you will be able to call and schedule in.
They also provide PCR testing of the nose (external nares.)
Results take 1-3 days to return.
Results are texted to you and we are sent a copy.
Vaccination:
Vermont is rolling out vaccination is a very organized manner. The first priority was to protect our health care workers and nursing home residents. The second priority is to protect those at greatest risk of dying from a COVID-19 infection: those over 75 years old. From there, vaccine will be offered to those over 70, those over 65, those with high risk conditions ...
For policy details, please see the Health Department's web page
For updates on vaccine rollout in our community, Please see SVMC's web page.
To register for vaccination, please see the COVID-19 Event Portal
or call 855-722-7878.
Dr Hearst and Dr Wood have been vaccinated and we encourage all of you to get vaccinated as soon as it is available to you.
Here is why:
1. COVID-19 vaccines in use are safe and now have been received by 25 million people in the U.S. alone.
2. COVID-19 is incredibly dangerous, has killed nearly half a million people in our country, and had detrimental impacts on countless more individuals.
3. The vaccines work incredibly well
4. Those who do not get vaccinated will undoubtedly contract the virus within 2021 or 2022. There is no avoiding the virus without extreme measures for years.
Vermont is rolling out vaccination is a very organized manner. The first priority was to protect our health care workers and nursing home residents. The second priority is to protect those at greatest risk of dying from a COVID-19 infection: those over 75 years old. From there, vaccine will be offered to those over 70, those over 65, those with high risk conditions ...
For policy details, please see the Health Department's web page
For updates on vaccine rollout in our community, Please see SVMC's web page.
To register for vaccination, please see the COVID-19 Event Portal
or call 855-722-7878.
Dr Hearst and Dr Wood have been vaccinated and we encourage all of you to get vaccinated as soon as it is available to you.
Here is why:
1. COVID-19 vaccines in use are safe and now have been received by 25 million people in the U.S. alone.
2. COVID-19 is incredibly dangerous, has killed nearly half a million people in our country, and had detrimental impacts on countless more individuals.
3. The vaccines work incredibly well
4. Those who do not get vaccinated will undoubtedly contract the virus within 2021 or 2022. There is no avoiding the virus without extreme measures for years.
An update on masks and COVID-19 spread
Our understanding of how COVID-19 is spread is still incomplete.
https://www.maskfaq.com/test-results
https://filti.com/products/
https://threadsmonthly.com/best-diy-face-mask-filter-materials/#filti
https://making.engr.wisc.edu/mask-fitter/
Our understanding of how COVID-19 is spread is still incomplete.
- It appears that most spread occurs by relatively large respiratory droplets leaving one persons mouth or nose and landing on some one else's mouth, nose or eyes. These droplets fall from the air quickly and mostly within 6 feet of being released. This form of spread is dramatically reduced by wearing a well fitted fabric mask or medical procedure mask, and by social distancing.
- Spread by touching eyes, nose and mouth with contaminated fingers is also a route but not as common as initially thought. This form of spread is well controlled by regularly sanitizing or washing your hands and touch surfaces and by avoiding touching your face.
- Unfortunately, spread of COVID-19 also happens with airborne virus, not as much as with measles or chicken pox but enough to play an important role. These tiny airborne particles can hover in the air for long periods of time, and will accumulate in a poorly ventilated space. Only N-95 masks prevent the spread of these particles. Reusable masks are not effective. There are materials that will filter these particles that can be used in masks, but without the seal of a well fitted N-95 mask, these particles will make their way around and, if in a contained space, they can accumulate to a point where they can cause an infection. We still have a serious shortage of N-95 masks, and they need to be preserved for health care workers. What to do?
- Find a multi layer mask that fits you well and stays in place and wear it when around others outside your home.
- Double mask or wear a "fitter" over your mask. see the CDC for details.
- Do not gather indoors with people you don't live with, especially not to eat, drink, sing or shout.
- If you have a pressing need to gather indoors, keep to as few people as possible, choose as large a space as possible, keep it as brief as possible and ventilate well.
- Find a multi layer mask that fits you well and stays in place and wear it when around others outside your home.
https://www.maskfaq.com/test-results
https://filti.com/products/
https://threadsmonthly.com/best-diy-face-mask-filter-materials/#filti
https://making.engr.wisc.edu/mask-fitter/
Local Resources:
Feeding your Family During the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
BCRC's COVID-19 Resource Page
Links for local information:
To find out how COVID-19 is affecting your community, and for other information:
Vermont Department of Health: 802-863-7240
New York Department of Health: 888-364-3065
Massachusetts Department of Health: 617-983-6800
New Hampshire Department of Health: 603-271-4496 (after-hours 603-271-5300)
SVMC (Bennington's hospital )
Sources for general, national, and international information:
COVID Act Now - Covid Maps and Risk data for the USA
WHO - The World Health Organization is a source for current information from about the evolving outbreak of Novel Coronavirus disease around the world.
CDC - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website is a source for up-to-date information about the disease in the United States.
A Glossary of COVID-19 Terms
PCR versus serology explained
