With a sigh of relief, we can now comfortably say that travel restrictions have been relaxed by the CDC.

Whether you're vaccinated or not vaccinated, some of the same precautions apply.

If your fully vaccinated, it’s important to still be aware that masks are still required for any public transport vehicles and in some facilities such as hospitals. This includes but is not limited too- airplanes, buses, trains, boats, etc. as well as train stations, bus stations, and airports.

If you are not fully vaccinated, or not vaccinated at all, masks should still be worn in public and while running errands.

Before you travel, you should get a covid test 1-3 days before your departure to verify you are not infected. If it comes back negative, you should still be cautious, wear masks, social distance, and wash your hands regularly as usual.

If you are positive, quarantine yourself for at least 7 days to see if symptoms develop and control symptoms with over-the-counter medications if needed. Once you have either not developed symptoms, or your symptoms have subsided, it may be safe for you to travel again as long as you take proper precautions to do so.

After traveling, consider getting another covid test 3-5 days after you come home to ensure you are still not infected. It may be wise to self-quarantine, especially if you are coming back from an area with a higher rate of infections, to keep others safe.

For more information on current CDC guidelines, please check out their website here. 

Although sunburn can occur at any time of the year people are out and about, summer is time when it happens most frequently. Much of the time, sunburn can be prevented, but if you’re out swimming or around water or sweating because of the heat, it can be hard to keep sunscreen on. In fact, it only takes about 15-30 minutes in the sun for sunburn to begin to develop, although the redness and tenderness doesn’t often present itself until a few hours later.

Anyone can get a sunburn, but kids may be more susceptible to it because they may have more sensitive skin, especially infants and toddlers. Extra precautions should be in place for younger kids to protect them from the sun, if possible. Those who have very fair skin, freckles, or moles or a history of skin cancer in the family are at the most risk for sunburns.

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It’s almost that time of year again, when school is getting back in session. Covid has thrown many parents and children off their normal back to school routine, but as schools are re-opening, it’s more important than ever for parents to ensure their child is healthy and ready to go back to school. Things such as annual physicals and vaccinations will likely need to be done before school starts, so doing those things a few weeks before school is a good idea. You can access the documents you need through our patient portal or call us to schedule your child for a wellness exam at your convenience.

Here are some health tips for making your child’s transition back into school this year easier on everyone.

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Independence Day is just around the corner! For many people, this is a fun time of year that is worth celebrating with fireworks, sparklers, family gatherings and BBQs. Popular centerpieces on the table are usually some good ol’ watermelon, roasted corn, burgers, hot dogs and lemonade.

Good times are to be had, but in order to have fun, it’s important to think about safety too, and with fire crackers, sparklers, and fireworks being used, keeping an eye on your kiddos is crucial.
Celebratory items such as those mentioned above can be incredibly dangerous if not used properly or are used with no regard to safety.

Common injuries ERs see around this time of year are burns and eye injuries, but more serious injuries can occur. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least 18 people died as a result of firework related injuries in 2020 and over 15,600 people were treated in the ER or hospitalized for them.

As the old saying goes, “if you play with fire you’re bound to get burned,” and this can be true for 4th of July festivities as well. Fortunately, many of these safety guidelines are common sense, but we figured we would share them anyway because a refresher is always good.

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