In December 2020, the United States started rolling out COVID-19 vaccinations to its citizens. Now, more people become fully vaccinated and as a result, more states — including Florida — have begun to reopen.
Indeed, people are beginning to picture finally going back to normal and this includes being able to go out without face masks on. However, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are in agreement that we need to continue wearing face masks a bit longer, especially in public places and settings.
It’s natural that some people will wonder why we still need to wear a face mask even after getting the COVID-19 vaccine -- isn’t the vaccine supposed to provide protection against the virus? If you are also asking this very question, you’re in luck. In this post, your trusted provider of urgent care in Forest Hill shares the top five reasons why you should continue wearing a mask after COVID-19 vaccination.
The fact is you won’t be automatically immune to COVID-19 right after you get vaccinated. Let’s take for example the Pfizer vaccine. According to experts, it generally takes around one to two weeks after the second dose before the vaccine kicks in. This is also the reason why it’s very important to get that second dose, even though you can already get a partial immune response after the first dose.
The vaccines we have right now are effective in protecting against serious COVID-19 illness. However, you might have noticed that they only offer around 95% protection. There is no way to tell who will be those 5% who will not respond to the vaccine as expected. As such, people who are vaccinated still need to protect themselves and others from getting infected as we don’t know who are still at risk.
COVID-19 vaccines show great promise in keeping people from falling seriously ill. However, studies are still being done to determine whether the vaccines also prevent virus transmission. There is a possibility that a vaccinated individual may still be infected but not experience symptoms. Experts are yet to find out if such individuals can potentially spread the virus to others. The continuous wearing of face masks help make sure that you don’t get the virus and spread it to others even after vaccination.
Some people cannot get the COVID-19 vaccine due to possible allergic reactions. Pregnant women and individuals aged 16 and below cannot be vaccinated as well. Meanwhile, there are immunocompromised individuals with comorbidities and chronic illnesses who may still get seriously ill even after getting the vaccine.
It should be our collective responsibility to help protect them by minimizing the spread of the virus. We can do this through the continuous wearing of face masks and observing physical distancing.
Yes, more people are now getting fully vaccinated against COVID-19. However, there are still many who are waiting to be vaccinated. According to experts, 50% to 80% of the population must be vaccinated to gain herd immunity. Based on the current availability rate of vaccine doses, it may take until the end of 2021 before we achieve this. So, while we are still waiting for the majority of the population to get vaccinated, we need to keep on wearing face masks.
Everyone must keep in mind that the vaccine is not an automatic kill switch for the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is an important step in reducing the spread of the virus and hopefully, eliminating illness and deaths. Furthermore, it will be most effective if we continue to follow minimum health protocols including wearing face masks, frequent hand washing, maintaining safe physical distance, and avoiding large gatherings.
If you want to learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations, check out these COVID-19 vaccine FAQs.
Whether you recently got your vaccine or not and you experience symptoms related to COVID-19, don’t hesitate to get tested. We offer rapid COVID testing that can help you and your doctor rule out COVID so that you can get the right diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, for any medical concerns, we have convenient locations you can visit any time:
We also offer telemedicine urgent care in Florida so you can get high-quality medical assistance from the comforts of your home. Contact us now to learn more or schedule an appointment for hassle-free consultations and medical services.
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
No one wants to worry about an injury or illness while on vacation, but sometimes an accident may happen! It can be anxiety-provoking when you are not sure where you can receive the medical care you need.
Since you are likely not near your home clinic, urgent care is often the ideal choice for care. Many offer telehealth urgent care in Florida, so you don't have to leave your friends or family.
To minimize stress in case of an emergency, there are a few steps you can take both before and during your vacation.
It may not be on your to-do list, but it is a good idea to look up where the closest urgent care is located based on where you are staying. Also, you can reach out to your insurance company to see if they have any suggestions and to guarantee coverage.
If you would like to be proactive and know the plan for vacation activities, you can look up their medical care on-site. This includes amusement parks and other sight-seeiing activities. Many can provide care for minor injuries or help you find the best urgent care option if the injury is more serious.
As mentioned, your health insurance carrier can provide you information on where you can go for care and what is covered under your insurance policy.
Not only do you want to bring the cards with you, but take a photograph just in case they get misplaced while you are on vacation. You can even put the carrier's phone number into your phone, so it is in your contact list if needed.
You can also write down everyone's medications, allergies, and previous medical conditions on a small index card. That way, you have all the information on hand in case of an emergency.
If someone is experiencing a serious illness suddenly, always call 911 so you can bring them to the nearest hospital for care.
Next, evaluate the seriousness of the illness. Sometimes you can treat the condition without needing to see the provider. Packing a first aid kit with over-the-counter medications, bandages, and ice and heat packs can end up saving a trip to the pharmacy.
If providing treatment at home is not improving, visiting urgent care in palm beach gardens is an option. It is also a great option if you are worried about dehydration, minor sunburns, or fevers that do not seem to improve. If you are not sure if you should go to an ER or an urgent care, you can always call for guidance.
Worried about COVID-19?
If you suspect COVID-19, you can receive COVID-19 testing in Palm Beach.
For a serious injury, call 911 or bring your loved one to the nearest hospital for treatment. More minor injuries may be able to be handled at home.
For those in-between injuries where you are not sure of the right level of care, urgent care is a wonderful option. They can evaluate or treat many conditions, including:
Preparation for medical emergencies may not be something we think of when preparing for vacation. But if you take a little bit of time to do some of the options, we suggested it may save you from added stress if the unexpected happens.
We have several location options for Urgent Care if you are vacationing in the Palm Beach area:
Know that we are here to care for you whether you live in the area or are on vacation. Contact us if needed or have any questions.
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
More than a year after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, hope is now finally in sight. More people are now getting vaccinated against the disease. If you have been vaccinated, you might be wondering if you already have enough antibodies to protect you especially now that the country is starting to open and go back to normal.
Here’s the good news: you can now get COVID-19 testing at all of our 3 locations specifically to check for COVID immunity. This test is recommended for individuals who recently got the COVID-19 vaccine and/or had been infected in the past.
In this post, your trusted Urgent Care of The Palm Beaches provider gives you a closer look at COVID-19 spike protein antibody testing and how it can help determine if your body has developed immunity against the virus.
To better understand how an antibody test works, you have to first look at how antibodies are developed. Antibodies are proteins that the body’s immune system creates after a person is infected or vaccinated against a virus or disease. They usually develop 1 to 3 weeks after a person gets infected. As such, “protein spike” refers to the spike of antibody proteins in the blood. Antibody tests are designed to detect this spike and identify whether there is a significant amount of antibodies in the individual’s blood.
In the case of COVID-19 antibody testing, it determines if a person has had a previous COVID infection and/or if they have developed antibodies as a result of vaccination. As a result, the individual and their healthcare provider can deduce if they’re immune to COVID-19 and if they can no longer spread the virus.
In general, those who want and need to know if they previously contracted COVID-19 and/or if they have sufficient protection against the virus after getting the vaccine can seek antibody. Specifically, COVID-19 spike protein tests are recommended for the following individuals:
COVID-19 antibody testing is often available through health care providers and laboratories. It’s best to undergo a consultation before having the test done. Your urgent care doctor can evaluate your medical history in relation to any symptoms you may have or had. This way, they will be in a better capacity to recommend COVID-19 antibody testing for you. Furthermore, a consultation is important because this test is not recommended for individuals who are currently unwell.
After the consultation, the doctor or testing center will provide preparation instructions. If the consultation was performed through telemedicine urgent care in Florida, they will tell you where to go for the testing.
To conduct a spike protein COVID-19 immunity test, the healthcare professional will take a blood sample either through the finger prick method or by drawing blood from your vein. Then, the sample will be tested in a laboratory. Results are usually ready within 24 to 48 hours.
If your COVID-19 antibody test comes out positive, it means that antibodies are detected in your blood. This indicates that you likely had COVID-19 in the past even if you didn’t experience symptoms. Remember that a person can contract the virus and remain asymptomatic.
Furthermore, a positive COVID-19 antibody test may also mean that your immune system has already produced sufficient antibodies after getting the vaccine, enough to be detected by the spike protein test.
On the contrary, a negative COVID-19 antibody test result indicates that you do not have antibodies. This means that you may not have had COVID-19 in the past. However, it takes some time for antibodies to develop, so it’s still possible that you may have had the disease only recently. You must also keep this in mind if you just got the vaccine fairly recently. It’s possible that your body is still in the process of developing the antibodies.
Urgent Care of the Palm Beaches is glad to offer COVID-19 spike protein antibody testing in all of our locations. We encourage you to schedule an appointment and consult with one of our doctors who can give you the go signal to undergo COVID-19 immunity testing. You will be asked to visit any of our locations nearest you:
Thanks to advancements in medical science and technology, our health experts, with the help of authorities and citizens, are now able to slowly but surely control COVID-19.
However, we remind everyone that even if you tested positive for a COVID-19 immunity or antibody test, there is no absolute guarantee that you will not get infected again. As studies are still being done, experts are yet to know until when an immunity to COVID-19 lasts. To be safe, everyone needs to continue observing health safety protocols, which includes wearing a mask.
Furthermore, if you or anyone in your family shows symptoms or have been in contact with a COVID patient recently, we recommend getting rapid COVID testing in Palm Beach or PCR covid testing in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, and Palm Springs.
To learn more about our services and schedule a visit, contact us. You may also schedule a virtual visit or telemedicine appointment for your safety and convenience.
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, about 415 million people around the world have diabetes. They estimate that this number will radically go up in the next decade. This staggering number has triggered various non-profit organizations to promote various campaigns aimed at the importance of early detection, control, and access to appropriate interventional treatment.
It is crucial to understand the health threat that this disease poses. In today’s article, we reveal seven interesting facts about this chronic illness that you may not have been aware of before.
Find more exciting articles from Urgent Care Clinic Palm Beach Gardens in our blog section!
Our Urgent Care Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens is visited by patients with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. It’s important to keep in mind that, despite both being called “diabetes,” each treatment is different.
The immune system of people who have type 1 diabetes attacks the insulin-producing beta cells, which leads to the inability of their body to produce insulin at all, which means that they are entirely dependent on insulin injections.
By contrast, the immune system of patients with type 2 diabetes doesn’t attack beta cells; they struggle with a different problem: Their body is incapable of responding to insulin in the right way and developing insulin resistance. Some of those patients will need insulin injections; however, not all of them.
How is that the case? As mentioned before, their body still produces some amounts of insulin, and for this reason, they may wind up taking medications that will improve the insulin released by the pancreas. Another way of lowering insulin resistance is following a healthy diet and being physically active.
Diabetes may lead to many health complications. Heart disease is one of them. At our Urgent Care Of The Palm Beaches, we always make sure to inform the patients who have diabetes that they are at higher risk of a heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke.
People with diabetes may be affected by cardiovascular disease even before the age of thirty. Because of the nerve damage caused by diabetes, it may be difficult for some of the patients to notice any heart pains that are an alarming sign of an upcoming heart attack.
At Urgent Care of the Palm Beaches, we help patients with type 2 diabetes who display any cardiovascular disease to manage their condition and enable them to live everyday life.
It is a commonly believed myth that overeating sugar is the leading cause of diabetes. The fact is that indeed type 2 diabetes is associated with high levels of sugar in the blood. Nevertheless, it’s a complex disease, and developing it is not limited to only one cause.
Overeating sugar alone will not directly contribute to diabetes, but it certainly will influence your weight. Consumption of significant amounts of sugar will eventually lead to weight gain and obesity, which increases the risk of diabetes.
An excess amount of body fat may cause the release of some proteins from fat cells that interfere with insulin production. The overworked pancreas may lead to type 2 diabetes by boosting blood sugar. Among other factors that have been reported to cause diabetes are genetics, age, and ethnicity.
Contact your physician about your risk of developing diabetes and get advice on the possible solutions to reduce it.
Every year in November, we observe World Diabetes Day, which aims to remind everyone of the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
Like with any health condition, the earlier diabetes is diagnosed, the sooner the patients can get their blood sugar levels under control and avoid any serious and costly complications.
The National Diabetes Federation strives to underline the necessity of screening people at risk of having type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, medical experts claim that nearly half of the 400 million people who suffer from this disease remain undiagnosed and unaware of their condition.
Patients with diabetes can prevent complications by keeping their blood pressure under control. Other measures that can help include eating a healthy diet, exercise, avoiding alcohol and illicit drugs, and avoiding smoking. Keeping cholesterol low can also help with lowering the risk of heart disease that can be related to diabetes. Taking these measures can significantly reduce your risk of complications from diabetes.
Insulin is the medication that keeps diabetes under control for people with Type 1 Diabetes. People with Type 2 are more likely to take oral medication rather than insulin.
For those with Type 1, they will take insulin before they eat breakfast. They may adjust the amount based on how active they are or the number of carbs. Most will take 8-10 units of insulin for every 500 calories they will be eating.
The ideal blood sugar range is 80-130, and people with Type 1 Diabetes know they never want blood sugar to go above 180 or drop below 60. If they do, they need to take the proper medication, call a practitioner, or reach out for medical help right away.
Sometimes blood sugar drops too low. When this happens is called hypoglycemia. There are a few symptoms of hypoglycemia to look for:
If you have diabetes and feel these symptoms, you need to drink or eat something with sugar. It’s recommended to have some juice, candy, or glucagon. Anything with sugar is fine, but don’t have too much, else your blood sugar levels could go too high.
It’s also crucial to educate family and friends on hypoglycemia to know the symptoms, as episodes may happen when you are around them, and you may need their help.
Also, keep glucagon on hand in case it is needed. Glucagon is a shot given if required for an emergency if blood sugar drops too low. Teach your loved ones how to give it in case you are too ill in a situation so they can provide the injection in an emergency. Also, see a healthcare professional to be evaluated at urgent care as they can assess you and monitor blood sugar levels, so you don’t have to carry that burden.
If you or any of your family members suspect they have diabetes, don’t think twice – immediately contact our Urgent Care Clinic.
We will help you and your closest ones determine whether you are at risk of developing diabetes and provide you with the knowledge you need to understand this disease. Never forget that early diagnosis and treatment gives a higher chance of preventing any severe complications of diabetes.
We have Several Clinic Locations to Serve You:
We are also proud to be offering telemedicine at our urgent care and COVID-19 Testing in Palm Beach.
If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment, contact us today, we will be happy to assist you.
Online Marketing for Doctors by RedCastleServices.com
