Important Information from VCIM about COVID-19 and Your Health Care

/

Dear Patients and friends,

The health of our patients, our staff, and our community is of utmost important to us.

Currently, there is a lot of confusion around how we are to handle exposure prevention and treatment of those with upper respiratory tract infections in this climate of the novel corona virus. Our directions change daily, here is what we know and what Public Health is directing us to do:

  1. The virus is not airborne; it is spread by droplet i.e. coughing or sneezing. This is excellent news.

  2. Given appropriate personal protective measures, i.e. wearing a mask, hand washing, keeping a safe distance of 6ft apart from others, hand washing and eye protection, one can avoid contracting the virus. This is good news. This means that we can protect ourselves from exposure, when wearing personal protective equipment, washing hands and distancing.

  3. It's tricky to do this all the time. So it makes good sense to minimize the number of people being in one place at one time, thus the closure of spaces that people gather and even medical offices to non-essential care at this time.

  4. But, people with medical issues still need help.

  5. With appropriate screening, we can, at this point, safely care for those in need with critical issues. For those that are not critical, we will be completing our appointments by phone.

Until public health and regulatory bodies change the screening for those that come into the office for care, we are following the mandated screening which follows:

All patients will be screened by telephone before their appointments.

If you have a fever, and/or onset of cough, or difficulty breathing,
AND
Have traveled outside of the country in the 14 days before onset of the illness
OR
Had close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19
OR
Had close contact with a person with acute respiratory illness who has traveled outside of the country in the 14 days before your symptoms started,

We will ask you to please stay home and call Telehealth Ontario for appropriate testing and treatment direction. Unfortunately, we are not equipped to test for COVID-19 nor do we have the necessary equipment to effectively isolate you.

This screening procedure may change soon, as we are now seeing community transmission of the virus.

  1. If you pass the screening, you will be seen, in office.

  2. In most cases, we can complete our in-office consultation visits by phone.

  3. We are Keeping Clean! We ensure sanitation practices that prevent contamination on high contact surfaces. This includes: disinfecting frequent-contact surfaces (doorknobs, light-switches, chairs, point-of-sale system, washroom surfaces after every patient.

  4. WASH HANDS FIRST - please wash your hands thoroughly when entering Village Centre For Integrative Medicine before you move around the clinic, like hanging up your coat or going to the washroom, or meeting your practitioner for your appointment. There is a hand sanitizer on the reception desk and a washroom in the waiting area. The door is marked Private. It is a washroom for our patients only. We are minimizing public use of the washroom.

  5. MASKS - We are asking everyone to wear a mask in the clinic. If you have your own, please bring one, as we are concerned for running out of masks.

  6. If you are feeling unwell, please do not come to the clinic in person. Call ahead so that we can screen you by telephone, and decide the best route for your care. (You must self isolate until we know that you are not positive for the virus.)

  7. Give us a call if you need medicines.

  8. We love our new space and are excited for things to get back to normal, so that we can welcome you to it! So far these measures will be in place until the end of March.

  9. We will be posting tips and updates here on our blog as well on Facebook (doctortammygrime and villageintegrativemedicine)

Keep Your Immune System Healthy!

Most people who become infected with COVID-19 fall into the categories of: asymptomatic, regular cold symptoms, flu symptoms. Others have more severe life-threatening symptoms. The severity of symptoms is determined by how your body is able to handle the virus. There are many ways to support your immune system. Please book an appointment with your ND to better understand how you can specifically fortify your own immune system best, as per your current and individual health situation and needs. Because what is need or safe may be good for one person and not others, we cannot give general advice for everyone one to follow.

Things that may be used, or are frequently used

IV vitamin therapy (especially with vitamin C, zinc, selenium) is powerful help to your immune system and infection fighting capacity. We are looking forward to being able to perform in-person treatment again. For now IV Therapies are reserved for essential needs patients.

  1. Oxygen/ozone therapies: This has shown to be effective for a very wide variety of viruses, bacteria,fungal and parasitic forms, including successful case reports with ebola virus, malaria and lymes.

  2. Oral vitamins and minerals: A, C, E, selenium, zinc are very important support for anti-viral immune system activity.

  3. Botanical Medicines: Andrographis, Usnea, Baptisia, olive leaf - are anti-viral. Astragalous, Echinacea, Reishi, Chaga, Coriolus -- and many other medicinal mushrooms are immune boosting.

  4. Probiotics help prevent infection and improve immune resilience.

  5. Hydrotherapy: Hot/cold showers or Contrast Showers, have immune boosting activity.

  6. Sleep is critical to a strong immune system.

  7. Alcohol and sugar avoidance: both of these weaken your immunity.

  8. Regular exercise, time in nature: boost immunity. Over-exercise weakens your immunity. Consider online work-outs at home, or venture outside keeping a safe distance.

  9. Meditation strengthens you immunity, while high stress reduces it.

Ontario Public Health

For up to date information on COVID-19, facts sheets on how to self monitor, how to self isolate etc, click on the link above to go to the Ontario Public Health website.

If you are concerned that you may have symptoms, call Telehealth Ontario at 1-888-797-0000.

Do not call 911 unless there is an emergency.

We are here to help, if you are worried and would like to talk to a familiar person about this, you can call us as well.

Keep Well Everyone! Keep in Touch.

We are only a phone call away and very much look forward to seeing you in person, hopefully in a couple of weeks.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Tarmmy Grime, ND

Dr. Michelle Richea

ND, Sahar El Awady (MD, Egypt)

Jen Bowers and Edwin