Skip to content
Menu

Tag: COVID 19

COVID-19 Vaccination and Younger Children

Posted on by Pentucket Medical

Submitted by Dr. John Maddox, Pediatrician, Pentucket Medical/Haverhill

Now that those age 16 years and older are able to receive the COVID vaccine, pediatricians are fielding questions about when younger children will be next.

Vaccines typically spend years being studied for effectiveness and safety. That process was understandably expedited due to the lives being lost due to COVID illness. COVID’s is the first vaccine to ever be approved under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) process. As with any medical treatment, there is always a balance between benefit and risk. Every treatment carries some risk that must be considered in comparison to its benefit.

The risks of the vaccine for an individual age 65 and older are much, much lower than the risks of COVID. That math is very different for children under age 16, where the risk of death from COVID is one tenth of one percent. Even the risk of the treatable multi-inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) is 2 per 100,000 — which means that most pediatricians will never see a case. For children, we will have the luxury of time when evaluating the effectiveness and safety of the COVID vaccine.

Until most adults have been vaccinated, we need to continue general mask-wearing and social distancing. But children can safely return to their childhood, including in-person school, without delay. Immunizing children has always been an important piece of preventing infectious diseases and building herd immunity, but we can focus our attention now on vaccinating as many adults as soon as possible.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Posted on by Pentucket Medical

 

  • Given the large demand and limited supply of vaccines, Mass General Brigham is following Massachusetts’ phased plan and therefore in this phase is only offering vaccines to patients ages 75 years and older.
  • Please sign up for a Patient Gateway account if you not already done so. This will be Mass General Brigham’s primary means for managing the vaccination process.
    • Mass General Brigham will begin reaching out to eligible patients soon via Patient Gateway, email, phone calls, and text messages. We are in an ‘outreach only’ phase so patients will be notified when they have been selected. Please do not call Pentucket Medical with questions about your status.
    • Selection for “invitation” is random, but special consideration is being given to more heavily impacted communities such as Lawrence and Haverhill.
  • Pentucket Medical will begin vaccinating patients at Haverhill-Primrose beginning Wednesday, February 3.
  • Eligible patients can also find other locations and schedule a vaccine appointment through the Massachusetts web site. This resource should be considered in addition to ongoing Mass General Brigham efforts.
  • For additional information please click here.

Should schools be open or closed during COVID?

Posted on by Pentucket Medical

By Dr. John Maddox, Pediatrician
Pentucket Medical/ Haverhill

School staff and families are experiencing tremendous fatigue from the heroic work to maintain in-person education during the COVID pandemic. Millions of hours and millions of dollars have gone into mitigation efforts (like masks and distancing and ventilation).

Most schools use a hybrid model, with each student only in the building 2 days per week. Furthermore, close contacts are quarantined. These modifications significantly reduce the likelihood of COVID spread.

Given the benefits of in-person education and the health risks of COVID, decisions about if and when to temporarily shut schools are very complex — requiring wise judgment. It’s important to avoid being reactionary, when fear clouds fact. The fundamental question should be: “is having our school open right now making the pandemic here now worse?”

Massachusetts has its system of red, yellow and green communities, which marks the degree of caution each district should be using in its decisions. This is a particular challenge for urban cities, where both the rates of COVID and the harms of remote education are highest.

To use a baseball analogy, closing a school is like shifting the infield to double play depth when a runner is in scoring position with one out. It’s a tool that gets you out of a pinch. If this school year were a game, we’d be in the top of the 3rd inning. We need to encourage and reward good managers, who keep an eye on the long view and the final outcome.

Mask Mythbusters: Five Common Misconceptions about Kids & Cloth Face Coverings

Posted on by Pentucket Medical

Submitted by Dr. John Maddox, Pediatrician, Pentucket Medical/ Haverhill

1. Can wearing a mask make it harder for my child to breathe?

Recommended cloth face coverings do not block the exchange of oxygen or carbon dioxide. The vast majority of children age 2 or older can safely wear a cloth face covering for extended periods of time; this includes children with many medical conditions. Begin now having your child wear masks at home. Start with short periods, when they are doing their favorite activities, and gradually increase the length of time, so they get used to it. All schools will offer mask breaks.

2. Can masks themselves spread germs?

Masks get damp over time, from the same respiratory droplets that spread COVID, flu and other germs, so face coverings should washed regularly. It is important to have cloth face coverings that fit a child’s face well, so that they are not tampering with the mask. You should perform hand hygiene before and after touching your face covering.

3. Can a child with special health care needs, like the autism spectrum, wear a mask?

Some children will need extra attention to the way a mask feels and fits and smells. Some kids will benefit from strategies like Social Story (see below), which help explain new situations with both descriptions and directives. Schools are prepared for some students with special needs to be unable to wear masks full-time right away. Occupational therapists and applied behavior therapists will work with students to teach them new and important skills.

4. Should a kid wear a mask during sports?

Cloth face coverings help young athletes protect their teammates and themselves. They also help protect the sports season. Whenever safe and possible, athletes should wear a cloth face covering. This includes on the sideline bench, in team chats and going to and from the field. Exceptions include when they are actively exercising.

5. Do masks really prevent the spread of COVID-19?

Cloth face coverings are one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID, flu and other germs. Very early on in the pandemic, there was concern about having enough masks for health care workers, so widespread mask use was discouraged. However, it is very clear now that states, communities, and schools that have contained COVID— despite imperfect social distancing, ventilation and hand hygiene— have used cloth face coverings to prevent spread, even in asymptomatic people.

 

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Cloth-Face-Coverings-for-Children-During-COVID-19.aspx

https://www.healthychildren.org/spanish/health-issues/conditions/covid-19/paginas/cloth-face-coverings-for-children-during-covid-19.aspx

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R1lSbfZ8TRchbHCiK_4svK7WLH62lS

https://vkc.mc.vanderbilt.edu/assets/files/tipsheets/socialstoriestips.pdf

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/19/well/childrens-face-masks-comfort.html

Telemedicine. Just a Substitute or the Real Deal?

Posted on by Pentucket Medical

 

I am going to start by saying this is part of the evolution of medical care. We have gradually moved toward patient-centered medical treatment. I listen to old radio shows of Dr. Kildare from the 1950s (and yes, there was a TV show by the same name in the 1960s). He and his mentor, Dr. Gillespie, had a very paternalistic approach toward patient care. Doctors “knew best” and it had been that way for a long time. There is no doubt, however, that they had the patient’s best interest in mind.

Fast forward to the 21st century and especially the past decade. We started what we called “Patient-Centered Medical Home” with the patient, not the provider at the center of care. We included “shared decision making” to make sure patients were educated about their illness and treatment options and were active participants in the decision-making process.

There has also been a push toward making medical care more convenient for patients. Years ago, this began with more convenient outpatient testing rather than hospital admission for diagnostic, the Minute clinics. Patient portals have allowed patients to review medical notes, check on lab and test results, communicate with physician offices, and even schedule appointments.

Mass General Brighman (formerly Partners Healthcare) had been dabbling in telemedicine (telephone and video visits) for several at Express Care (our urgent care center). It was a fun experience for both the patient and me. Then came the sentinel event that shook up telemedicine and moved it by leaps and bounds—the Covid-19 pandemic. At Pentucket Medical, we jumped from a few telemedicine visits to 90% of our usual visit volume. We tried different video platforms and now have Zoom integrated into our electronic medical record. It is anticipated that 20-30% of medical visits will be by telemedicine even after the pandemic has passed.

Just like moving to patient-centered medicine, patient education shared decision making, and increased convenience for patient visits, telemedicine has the power to put patient needs at the forefront. Many patient concerns can be handled by a good telemedicine visit. Great for elderly frail patients and maybe Great for elderly frail patients and may be very well suited for behavioral health.

Millennials, being so tech-savvy, will also be happy about the telemedicine options. There is even a term now for bedside manner called “Webside” manner. It is a learning curve for all of us. I view this is as progress that once again puts patients at the center. It seemed to happen in an instant and is here to stay.

Kenneth Adams, MD, FACC
Senior Cardiologist and Medical Director at Pentucket Medical

Lawrence Community Covid-19 Testing Center

Posted on by Pentucket Medical

We are pleased to announce a nine-bay drive-thru Covid-19 testing site located on Canal St in Lawrence.

This testing site is a collaboration between Lawrence General Hospital, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, and Pentucket Medical/ MassGeneral-Brigham Health in response to the growing need for testing in the community.

The initial phase of testing will include LGH patients who are scheduled for upcoming procedures, area healthcare workers, symptomatic residents, and non-area residents who meet the following criteria:

Individuals referred through official contact tracing
Patients 65 years of age and older with symptoms
Patients with underlying conditions with symptoms
Homeless individuals
Health care facility workers with symptoms
First responders with symptoms

Please note that a prescription is needed from your primary care physician in order to be screened. Once that is received an appointment will be scheduled.

CDC Symptom Checker:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Hours of operation:
Monday – Friday from 9 am – 5 pm
Saturdays from 10 am – 2pm
Sundays from 9 am – 1 pm

.

Respiratory Illness Clinic in Riverwalk

Posted on by Pentucket Medical

 

As of March 30, ExpressCare/ Riverwalk staff will not be providing urgent care services until further notice.

To support our patients growing healthcare needs due to COVID-19/ Coronavirus, we will be providing respiratory care and treatment at this location. To receive this care, patients will have to be seen and referred by a Partners Healthcare clinician.

Individuals who need urgent care services and are NOT experiencing any respiratory symptoms, please visit our ExpressCare location in Andover.

Thank you

(888) 227-3762

Copyright 2023 Pentucket Medical.
All Rights Reserved.

We use cookies and other tools to enhance your experience on our website and to analyze our web traffic. For more information about these cookies and the data collected, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

×