> IT’S BEEN A LONG YEAR…
We have hit a significant anniversary. It has been a year since the pandemic escalated in the U.S resulting in a shut-down of our society. We all can remember how quickly our lives came to a halt. For the doctors in our practice, it was particularly painful. Pediatricians in particular love to work with children and families face to face.
The initial weeks were most worrisome. We participated in many informational sessions put out by Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. We owe them a debt of gratitude for providing us a platform to meet, discuss our concerns, and provide up to date information. Community Medical Group, a physicians group to which we belong, helped us obtain valuable PPE, navigate the new world of technology and the use of Telemedicine.
Thank goodness for Telemedicine. In those lonely weeks, it was a pleasure to visit with families nestled at home. We were able to provide medical care and emotional support to those who needed it.
We were, in late March, April and May, only permitting Physical exams for children 4 and under. With our reduced schedule, each of us were going to the office once a week. It was the only opportunity we had to see your families. It was a short day, but a break from our own homes. We relished those opportunities for (masked) face to face encounters.
It certainly was eerie driving to work and seeing perhaps one other car on the road. Non-essential stores and restaurants closed. It was tough. Then by June we were opening up our practice more and more. As were our local communities. More stores and restaurants cautiously opened up.
It has been slow, but we are getting there. Our governor is opening up more capacity to businesses with responsible measures to get us back to normal. We will still need to mask for some time longer. At this point, we all should feel unprotected without a mask. We have accommodated to masking, including exercising with it on.
We need more of the community vaccinated. There is a timeline as to when more groups are eligible for the vaccine. Our valued teachers and child care workers have been or will be vaccinated. Starting April 15th, individuals 16 years and older are eligible to get the vaccine. We will not have the vaccine in the office at this time. Please refer to the State website for information regarding scheduling an appointment and administration sites. See when you will be able to get your own vaccine:
CT COVID-19-Vaccination-Phases
As for the pandemic, this is a marathon for sure. We don’t want to drop out of the race just before we cross the finish line. Until then, don’t forget those cardinal rules. Please wear a mask when out in the community, avoid large crowds, avoid unmasked visits with people who are not vaccinated, avoid unnecessary trips out of state. Remember to take care of your own and your family’s mental and physical health. Most importantly, if you need us, please call. We look forward to seeing you soon.
> IMPORTANT REMINDER
Summer is around the corner. If your child is due for his or her annual physical exam, please make an appointment as soon as possible. Those coveted appointment times will fill quickly.
> COVID INFORMATION
Remember to check on our website in April. We will have our COVID information tab up to provide information to parents. We will edit as more up to date guidelines are provided.
> SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
We will also have a monthly email newsletter that will have information regarding general pediatric care, mental health, community updates and of course, COVID. There will be a button on the home page where you can input your email address directly. You can also fill out a form in our office and we will input the address into the system.