Malecare Board of Directors member Vincent Santillo, MD, talks about the regular flu shot and COVID-19 testing.

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 Transcript

Hello. Happy Tuesday. A couple of updates and I will respond to a question I got yesterday. First get your flu shot if you haven’t already gotten one. While we’re nearing the end of flu season usually wraps up in April or may this is not the year that you want to catch the flu and come down with a fever because you’re going to be worried and your doctors are gonna be worried that maybe you have coronavirus. so I would highly recommend.  If you haven’t gotten a flu shot, head over to your Walgreens or CVS the shots are given everywhere and get one so the least you can avoid having a fever.

   Testing: So I got a question asking how do you know when to go to your doctor or to the hospital if you’re concerned about coping 

   Doctors were recommending to their patients: they said number one if you have mild cold or flu symptoms running nose cough…then remain home and don’t go into their office because you could spread the disease they recommended to stay home. 

   Get rest, monitor your temperature drink plenty of fluids and take time out to alleviate your symptoms now in cases of severe flu-like symptoms the temperature over a hundred and one in addition to respiratory symptoms cough or shortness of breath. 

   And have been in close contact with somewhere covert nineteen or you need to talk to somebody about it you need to call your doctor’s office and they’ll help you decide what you should do. 

   Right now the New York state guidelines for testing for COVID-19 are if an individual has come into contact with another person known to be positive for testing them . if an individual is travel to a country where that issue to level two or three travel notice and show symptoms of illness, we’re testing them — that would be China Japan Korea and Italy I believe. 

   If individuals quarantine is sensitive COVID-19 of course we’re testing if the symptomatic. 

   And have not tested positive for any other infection, we will test for covert and other cases where the facts and circumstances.  So we are going back to have a lot more availability of testing. The commercial labs are getting their tests at which radically increase the number of tests that can be processed so we’re now going to be getting more information on how to deal with a higher info flow. 

   I hope that is helpful to you and make sure wash your hands and get your flu shot if you already haven’t got one have a great day which is the.