Imperial County Medical Society

12/18/2020

diciembre de 2020
NO HAY CAMBIOS EN LOS REQUISITOS DE CUARENTENA LOCALES
El período de cuarentena para quienes han estado en contacto cercano sigue siendo de 14 días.

CONDADO DE IMPERIAL, CA- Los funcionarios de salud estatales y federales publicaron recientemente las pautas de cuarentena de COVID-19 actualizadas. La cuarentena se usa para separar a las personas que podrían haber estado expuestas al COVID-19 para evitar que transmitan el virus a otras personas sin saberlo. El período actual de cuarentena de 14 días, sigue siendo la mejor opción para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19, ya que el período de incubación de esta enfermedad puede ser de hasta 14 días. Sin embargo, la nueva guía proporciona opciones para períodos de cuarentena alternativos que pueden adoptar las autoridades de salud locales según las condiciones dentro de su jurisdicción.

En vista de la severidad de la nueva oleada en el Condado de Imperial, el periodo de cuarentena después de estar en contacto con alguien que resulto positivo de COVID-19 sigue siendo de 14 días. El Departamento de Salud del Condado de Imperial continúa revisando las nuevas pautas estatales con respecto a la cuarentena. La seguridad de la comunidad sigue siendo nuestra principal prioridad y tomaremos todas las medidas posibles para prevenir la propagación de COVID-19 en nuestra comunidad.
Para obtener más información relacionada con la orientación del Estado sobre cuarentena, visite: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID-19-Quarantine.aspx

12/18/2020

NO CHANGES TO LOCAL QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS
Quarantine period for close contacts remains at 14 days.

IMPERIAL COUNTY, CA – State and federal health officials recently published updated COVID-19 quarantine guidelines. Quarantine is used to separate individuals, who might have been exposed to COVID-19, to prevent them from unknowingly spreading the virus to others. The current 14-day quarantine period remains the best option, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 since the incubation period of this disease can be as long as 14 days. The new guidance does, however, provide options for alternative quarantine periods that local health officials may adopt based on the conditions in their jurisdiction.

In light of the severity of the surge in Imperial County, the required quarantine period for those who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 remains at 14 days. The Imperial County Health Department continues to review the new state quarantine guidelines. The safety of the community remains our top priority, and we will take every step possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

For more information related to the State’s guidance on quarantine please visit: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID-19-Quarantine.aspx

12/06/2020

ADDITIONAL COVID-19 TESTING LOCATIONS ANNOUNCED

IMPERIAL COUNTY, CA – The Imperial County Public Health Department is announcing additional COVID-19 testing locations beginning this week. The goal of these additional testing resources are to increase the County’s COVID-19 testing capacity and to provide community members with convenient and flexible access to testing.

On December 9th, 10th, 11th and 14th a mobile testing van will be available to the public from 8 am to 4 pm at the Imperial County Fairgrounds. Because the unit is mobile, public health officials will have the flexibility to provide pop-up testing for both the public and private business locations throughout Imperial County. Locations where the van will periodically available include the Imperial County Fairgrounds, the El Centro Public Library parking lot and the parking lot of the Calexico Movie Theater. Dates, times and locations of the mobile testing van will be updated frequently and made available through the Imperial County Public Health Department website as well as the Imperial County Public Health Department social media pages. Testing is available by appointment and appointments can be made now using the registration information below. This testing location is able to conduct approximately 528 tests per day.

Additionally, an OptumServe test site will be reopening at the Imperial County Veterans Memorial Hall, located at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 247 South Imperial Ave, Imperial, California. Testing hours will be from 7 am to 7 pm, Monday through Friday.

The OptumServe testing site located at the Brawley Senior Center, 575 J. Street, Brawley, California continues to be available. Hours of operation are from Monday through Friday, 7 am to 7pm

For appointments for either of the test sites (mobile bus and fixed locations) listed above, community members can register at https://lhi.care/covidtesting or (888) 634-1123. Residents are urged to cancel or reschedule if you are unable to keep your appointment. Those with insurance should bring a copy of their information. There is no out of pocket costs for residents with or without insurance.

Additional testing sites continue to be available in Imperial County at a number of private healthcare providers and pharmacies. For a list of additional test sites, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/y2z84voy.

12/06/2020

SE ANUNCIAN UBICACIONES ADICIONALES DE PRUEBAS DE COVID-19

CONDADO DE IMPERIAL, CA- El Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de Imperial anuncia, que a partir de esta semana habrá sitios adicionales donde se ofrecerán pruebas de COVID-19. El objetivo de estos recursos adicionales es aumentar la disponibilidad de pruebas de COVID-19 en el condado y proporcionar a los miembros de la comunidad un acceso conveniente y flexible a las pruebas.

Los días 9, 10, 11 y 14 de diciembre, una unidad móvil de pruebas estará disponible para el público de 8 am a 4 pm en los terrenos de la feria del Condado de Imperial. Debido a que la unidad es móvil, los funcionarios de salud pública tendrán la flexibilidad de proporcionar pruebas emergentes para las ubicaciones comerciales públicas y privadas en todo el Condado de Imperial. Los lugares donde la unidad móvil estará disponible periódicamente incluyen los terrenos de la feria del Valle Imperial, el estacionamiento de la biblioteca pública de la ciudad de El Centro y el estacionamiento del cine en Calexico. Las fechas, horas y ubicaciones de la unidad móvil se actualizarán con frecuencia y estarán disponibles a través del sitio web del Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de Imperial y las páginas de redes sociales del Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de Imperial. Las pruebas están disponibles con cita y las citas se pueden hacer ahora utilizando la información compartida aquí. Esta ubicación de prueba puede realizar aproximadamente 528 pruebas por día.

Además, se reabrirá un sitio de prueba OptumServe en el Salón Conmemorativo de Veteranos de Imperial, ubicado en 247 South Imperial Ave, Imperial, California. El horario de las pruebas será de 7 am a 7 pm, de lunes a viernes.
El sitio de pruebas OptumServe ubicado en Brawley Senior Center, 575 J. Street, Brawley, California, sigue disponible. El horario de atención es de lunes a viernes, de 7 am a 7 pm.
Para programar una cita en cualquiera de los sitios de prueba mencionados anteriormente (unidad móvil y ubicaciones fijas), los miembros de la comunidad pueden registrarse en https://lhi.care/covidtesting o (888) 634-1123. Se insta a los residentes a cancelar o reprogramar si no pueden asistir a su cita. Aquellos con seguro médico deben traer una copia de su información. No hay costo para los residentes con o sin seguro médico.

Los sitios de prueba adicionales continúan estando disponibles en el Condado de Imperial en varias oficinas de proveedores de atención médica y farmacias. Para obtener una lista de sitios de prueba adicionales, visite: https://tinyurl.com/y2z84voy.

12/02/2020

El Centro Regional Medical Center

Imperial County & ECRMC Covid-19 Update

ECRMC COVID-19 Update: 12/01/2020

11/30/2020

Don't share your air!

11/24/2020

Op-Ed: On the COVID frontlines, we're tired of hearing lame excuses for risky behavior

Folks,
Wear a mask, its not political, its science. The life you save may be your own.
Stop the spread. Give up a little to save many. Don't let this be the last time you can gather with one (or more) of your family members.

What you do — how we ALL act in the next six weeks — will make the difference between an inconvenient fall and a disaster that will take years to overcome.

11/24/2020

On behalf of our nearly 20,000 physician members in the Southern California counties of Kern, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, and San Diego, the Presidents of each southern California Medical Society stand in support of our dedicated public health officers and implore residents to wear masks outside the home to save lives.

The eight medical society presidents are leading a campaign called “Medicine for Masks” to alert the public about the importance of wearing masks in public to prevent further loss of life, while also stressing the importance of hand-washing and social distancing.

PLEASE BE SAFE, WEAR MASKS, PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS.

11/10/2020

El Centro Regional Medical Center

ECRMC Covid-19 Update

COVID-19 Update (11/10/2020)

11/02/2020

CMA President Peter N. Bretan, M.D., today released the following statement:

“As the COVID-19 pandemic has infected millions of Americans, physicians across the country have responded heroically, putting their own personal safety and self-interest aside in service to their patients. President Trump’s recent false and dangerous assertions that physicians are inflating COVID-19 infection numbers for financial gain is offensive and categorically untrue. False statements like these are a slap in the face to those who have served bravely over the last several months amid a raging pandemic that is still out of control and is on the rise around the country. The health and well-being of millions of Americans have become unnecessarily and dangerously politicized. While we are at the apex of a long and stressful political season, we must be able to make public policy decisions in the interest of public health and safety that are guided by science and protecting communities across the country.”

10/29/2020

The California Medical Association, in conjunction with CES, has worked to provide PPE to our local providers.

Please help them help you by following these recommendations:
+ Wash hands frequently.
+ Maintain at least six feet of distance between you and people who are not part of your household.
+ Cover your nose and mouth when others are around.
+ Cover coughs and sneezes.
+ Clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces.
+ Monitor your health daily .

10/29/2020

October 28, 2020

Recently, the Imperial County Medical Society received multiple inquiries regarding the proposal made to the Brawley Elementary School District to use Hydroxychloroquine and Zinc as a preventative measure to be given to teachers. As reported by the Desert Review and by teachers, the Board was asked to consider the treatment as a method to facilitate the opening of schools. The Imperial County Medical Society reached out to the California Medical Association for its guidance.

The following statement is from the California Medical Association (CMA) President Peter N. Bretan, Jr., M.D.

“California physicians continue to receive questions about whether hydroxychloroquine should be used for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Multiple federal entities recommend against use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment. The evidence supporting hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19 is weak and hydroxychloroquine can have serious side effects. CDC guidelines show the best way to prevent COVID-19 transmission is to maintain physical distance of at least 6 feet, wear a face covering and regularly wash your hands.”

Attached you will find an FAQ created by the California Medical Association “Hydroxychloroquine & COVID-19”, which provides additional specific reasoning related to the recommendation.

Regards,
Theodore Affue, M.D.
President

*******
Is Hydroxychloroquine effective for COVID-19 treatment?
Data shows that hydroxychloroquine is not effective in treating COVID-19. Multiple national entities, based upon the evidence, have recommended against use of hydroxychloroquine for treatment of COVID-19.
Food and Drug Administration
The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked the emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 in certain hospitalized patients when a clinical trial is unavailable, or participation is not feasible on June 15, 2020. The FDA cited results from a large, randomized clinical trial in hospitalized patients that found hydroxychloroquine showed no benefit for decreasing the likelihood of death or speeding recovery. Other data has shown that dosing for hydroxychloroquine are unlikely to kill or inhibit the virus that causes COVID-19.
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health COVID-19 Treatment Panel recommends against:
+ The use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients
+ The use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin for the treatment of COVID-19, except in a clinical trial, for nonhospitalized patients
+ The use of high-dose chloroquine (600 mg twice daily for 10 days) for the treatment of COVID-19
Infectious Disease Society of America
The Infectious Disease Society of America, a group of infectious disease experts, strongly recommend against the use of hydroxychloroquine, alone or in combination with azithromycin for patients hospitalized for COVID-19.
/////
www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-cautions-against-use-hydroxychloroquine-or-chloroquine-covid-19-outside-hospital-setting-or
www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/antiviral-therapy/chloroquine-or-hydroxychloroquine-with-or-without-azithromycin
www.idsociety.org/practice-guideline/covid-19-guideline-treatment-and-management/#toc-3
/////
Is hydroxychloroquine effective for COVID-19 prevention?
There are currently no FDA-approved medications, including hydroxychloroquine, specifically approved for preventing COVID-19, and the clinical evidence does not support the use of hydroxychloroquine for this purpose.
A recent randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine found no reduction in transmission of the virus that cause COVID-19 among health care workers that were administered hydroxychloroquine for prevention.
Is using hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 safe?
The FDA has completed a review of safety issues with the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat hospitalized patients with COVID-19. This includes reports of serious heart rhythm problems and other safety issues, including blood and lymph system disorders, kidney injuries, and liver problems and failure.
What can be done to prevent COVID-19?
While there are several vaccine trials currently underway in the United States, there is currently no pharmaceutical intervention approved to prevent COVID-19. Non-pharmaceutical interventions remain the most effective way to prevent COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people:
+ Wash hands frequently.
+ Maintain at least six feet of distance between you and people who are not part of your household.
+ Cover your nose and mouth when others are around.
+ Cover coughs and sneezes.
+ Clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces.
+ Monitor your health daily .
/////
www.jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2771265
www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/2020/OSE%20Review_Hydroxychloroquine-Cholorquine%20-%2019May2020_Redacted.pdf
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

10/14/2020

Halloween

Halloween

08/31/2020

El Centro Regional Medical Center

ECRMC Covid-19 Update.

COVID-19 Update (08/31)

08/30/2020

Opinion | ‘But I Saw It on Facebook’: Hoaxes Are Making Doctors’ Jobs Harder

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/28/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-misinformation-faceboook.html

Without the support of social platforms, our efforts to stamp out viral misinformation feel futile.

08/26/2020

SNUG - Recommended by AARP (Top 10) and ICMS

Shows how SNUGSAFETY will daily help to insure your friend or relative is okay. This application is perfect for those that are alone. They can confirm all is well or if they don't respond, a contact will be notified. It is available free for iOs or Android.

08/16/2020

Wall Street Journal Newspaper reporters are looking to tell stories from doctors, nurses, patient and family members of patients transferred from hospitals.
Please contact them at [email protected]

07/25/2020

Manteniendo la Salud Cardiaca durante el COVID-19

Es importante que los pacientes con problemas cardiacos esten informados de como protegerse durante el Covid-19

07/25/2020

Maintaining Cardiac Health during COVID-19

It’s important that patients with cardiac issues understand how to protect themselves during COVID-19