Covid-19
To ensure the safety of our patients, staff, and providers, Sound Medical requires that everyone entering the office wear an appropriate face covering. If you do not have a face mask, we will provide one for you. Be sure that your mask covers your nose and mouth correctly. Please keep your mask on at all times while you are in the office unless you are directed to remove it by a staff member or provider.
The waiting areas in both offices are open at this time. We invite you to use the waiting areas while maintaining safe social distancing. If you are not comfortable using our waiting areas, please advise our front office staff and remain in your vehicle and a staff member will escort you into the office at the appropriate time.
If you have symptoms that could be COVID19-related, you will be asked to have a TeleHealth visit with your provider rather than coming into the office. Again, this is to ensure the safety of our patients, staff, and providers.
Sound Medical encourages all of our patients to get vaccinated against COVID19. The vaccine is available through our offices and through local pharmacies as well as the county health departments in Carteret, Onslow, and Craven counties.
Diagnosed with Covid-19?
How do I know the Covid-19 vaccine is safe?
- Safety is the most important requirement for the vaccine and is assessed in trials by independent experts.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises a minimum of 3,000 participants to access safely. The phase 3 trials for COVID-19 vaccines have 30,000 to 50,000 participants. This really demonstrates how safety is a top priority for the FDA and the medical community.
How is the vaccine developed and tested?
Approval of a vaccine involves multiple phases with measuring effectiveness and safety in different people. There are several phases, and the vaccine must meet very intense safety criteria before completing each phase. Once a vaccine is approved for use, it has been tested in tens of thousands of people and if no significant harmful side effects are noted, it is considered safe for use.
What is an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and is it safe?
A EUA is based on the need to use a vaccine quickly to save lives during an urgent health crisis. You may be anxious about the speed with which the COVID-19 vaccine has been approved. While the EUA is a shorter process, no steps are skipped in the safety evaluation process.
Will it cost me anything to get the vaccine?
No, there is no cost to you. The vaccine is free for everyone.
Can I get COVID-19 from the vaccine?
NO. The goal of the vaccine is to give your body the tools it needs to fight COVID-19 effectively and/or prevent you from getting it at all.
Will I have to get 1 shot or 2 shots?
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require 2 doses to be effective, given about 3-4 weeks apart. This is to make sure your body has enough antibodies to fight COVID-19. Getting 2 doses within 3-4 weeks has been shown to be safe and there are other vaccines that have been used for years that require multiple doses without causing harm.
When will I be protected after getting the vaccine?
- Even when people receive the vaccine they will not be immediately protected and will need to continue wearing masks, social distancing, and practicing frequent hand hygiene.
- Protection will usually occur about 2 weeks after the second shot.
- While no vaccine is 100% effective, the COVID-19 vaccines are anticipated to be more than 90% effective. This will greatly reduce your risk of getting sick with COVID-19 and spreading it to others.
What if I had COVID-19 or I took a test that showed I have antibodies? Should I get the vaccine?
Yes, even if you have had COVID-19, it is safe and will add additional protection without causing any harm. If you have had a test that shows you have COVID-19 antibodies, you should still get the vaccine. It is safe and can increase your protection from future COVID-19 infections.
What are some of the possible side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine? Will the vaccine make me sick?
- The vaccine can cause short-term discomfort (such as headache, muscle pains, fatigue, chills, fever, and pain at the injection site) in a percentage of the people who receive them. This is the effect of your body developing immunity. Clinical trial participants reported that the discomfort went away after a day, or sometimes sooner. When you receive the second dose of the vaccine, the discomfort can be more pronounced. This is a normal reaction.
- If you experience discomfort after the first dose of the vaccine, it is very important that you still receive the second dose a few weeks later for the vaccine to be effective.
- This does not mean that the vaccine has given you COVID-19. Rather, this means that the vaccine is causing your body’s immune system to react and create antibodies to fight off the vaccine.
- In some cases, a person may already be infected with COVID-19 when they get the vaccine but are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. If they later have symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive for it, it does not mean they got COVID-10 from the vaccine.
What if I have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine?
- Talk to your Doctor/provider and ask any questions that you may have.
- It will be important to get your information from reliable sources, such as the CDC (www.cdc.gov , the Immunization Action Coalition (https://www.immunize.org ), and other providers.
- Social media is full of misinformation and opinions based on that misinformation. We recommend that you use visit one of the professional organizations above.
Frequently asked questions
Coronavirus Diagnosis: What Should You Expect?
As our doctors and care providers work to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the coronavirus that causes it, patients want to know what happens if they are diagnosed with COVID-19. Below is a Q& A that explains what to expect.
How will I feel if I have COVID-19?
The coronavirus affects people differently. Some people have no symptoms at all and may not even know they are ill; even though they can transmit the coronavirus to others. If you have any of the following symptoms, call your doctor/provider. He or she will say whether you need a test or recommend what you should do.
- Cough
- Fever or chills
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Muscle or body aches
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- New fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Congestion or runny nose
**In some people, COVID-19 can start out mild and become serious quickly. If you experience shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, call 911 immediately or go to the emergency department.
** Most people with a mild case of COVID-19 can rest at home and self-isolate.
How do people get infected with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19?
If you test positive for COVID-19, you probably inhaled droplets or virus particles transmitted from an infected person, released into the air when that person breathed, spoke, coughed, sneezed, or sang, especially if he or she was not wearing a face mask.
In rarer cases, people become infected after touching something with the coronavirus on it, and then touching their face. If a member of a household has COVID-19, there is a high risk that it will be transmitted to others in the home.
If I have COVID-19, when will I feel better?
Those with a mild case of COVID-19 usually recover within one to two weeks. For severe cases, recovery can take six weeks or more, and there may be lasting damage to the heart, kidneys, lungs, and brain.
Click on the words underlined above for more information.
Is there medicine I can take to feel better if I have COVID-19?
For most people, rest and drinking plenty of fluids are the best treatments. Your doctor/provider may also suggest you take over-the-counter medication for fever.
More severe cases require hospitalization. Hospital care may include breathing support, such as ventilator, or other treatments. (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-treatment-whats-in-development)
If I have COVID-19, how can I keep my family safe?
You should stay in one room away from other people in your home as much as possible. Also, use a separate bathroom if one is available.
If you have to be in the same room as other people, you should wear a face mask.
If you cannot wear a face mask (for some, face masks may cause trouble breathing), people who live with you should not be in the same room as you. If they do enter your room, they should wear a face mask.
You—or someone else – should keep your house clean and sanitized by following these steps:
- Do not share personal household items such as dishes, drinking glasses, cups, utensils, towels or bedding with other people, or with pets. After using these items, wash them thoroughly.
- Every day clean all “high-touch” surfaces. These include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.
- Clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or other body fluids on them.
- You can use a household cleaning disinfectant spray or wipe. Be sure to follow the label instructions on the cleaning product for safe and effective use.
You should also practice good hygiene, including washing your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds and coughing or sneezing into your elbow or tissue (and then throwing the tissue away).
How can I care for my pets if I have COVID-19?
While researchers are still studying the risk of spreading the coronavirus between humans and pets, it’s best to follow the same safety measures with your pets as you would with people.
- Avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food.
- When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals.
- If you must care for them, wear a face mask, and wash your hands before and after.
After COVID-19, when is it safe for me to go out in public?
Talk to your doctor/provider. In general, you can resume contact with other people after:
- You have had one day without fever (without and fever-reducing medications during that time), AND
- It has been at least 10 days since you first experienced symptoms, AND
- Your symptoms are improving.
If you have a severe case of COVID-19, a suppressed immune system, or other special circumstances, your doctor may recommend a longer period of isolation or further testing. If you test negative for the coronavirus twice in a row, with a test at least 24 hours apart, you can resume contact with others.
Does a coronavirus diagnosis mean I’ll get pneumonia?
Some patients with COVID-19 develop pneumonia. Viral pneumonia, such as from COVID-19, cannot be treated with antibiotics. In severe cases, ventilator support may be needed to ensure the body is getting enough oxygen.
People over the age of 65 and those with certain health conditions are at a higher risk of developing pneumonia and may experience more severe cases of COVID-19. Studies show that in patients with COVID-19, pneumonia may progress into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), with can be fatal in some patients.
Can I get COVID-19 more than once?
Researchers are eager to learn more about a person’s immunity after having COVID-19. For some viruses, a person can have lasting immunity: for others, the immunity lasts only a limited time. More research will reveal how the body responds to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other Frequently Asked Questions:
1. If I am exposed to the coronavirus, how long before I develop symptoms?
Symptoms can begin between two and 14 days after you have been infected with the coronavirus. A study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that the median time for symptoms to show up is about five days. That is why the CDC uses the 14-day quarantine period for people following exposure to the coronavirus.
2. Can you have coronavirus symptoms without the fever?
Yes, you can be infected with the coronavirus and have a cough or other symptoms with no fever, or a very low-grade one, especially in the first few days. Keep in mind that it is also possible to have COVID-19 with minimal or even no symptoms at all.
3. What are the first symptoms of coronavirus?
Early symptoms reported by some people include fatigue, headache, sore throat or fever. Others experience a loss of smell or taste. COVID-19 can cause symptoms that are mild at first, but then become more intense over five to seven days, with worsening of a cough and shortness of breath. For some, pneumonia develops.
The type and severity of first symptoms can vary widely from person to person, and that is why it is very important to call your doctor if you think you have any symptoms. Some people may never notice symptoms because they have a mild case.
4. Can coronavirus symptoms come and go?
Yes. During the recovery process, people with COVID-19 might experience recurring symptoms alternating with periods of feeling better. Varying degrees of fever, fatigue and breathing problems can persist for days or even weeks.
5. Can you have COVID-19 without symptoms?
Yes. Symptoms of COVID-19 usually show up from two to 14 days after exposure to the coronavirus, but some people who are infected do not develop symptoms or feel ill. Therefore, it is important to wear a face mask and practice physical distancing and hand hygiene. People can be infected with COVID-19 and not realize it, but still be able to transmit it to other people.
6. How are coronavirus symptoms different from allergy symptoms? What about flu, colds and strep throat?
COVID-19 shares symptoms with other conditions such as allergies, the flue or strep throat. It may be very hard to tell the difference between COVID-19 and flu without a test.
IF you have symptoms that might be due to the coronavirus, contact a health care provider, describe your symptoms, and follow their recommendations.