The number of Coronavirus or COVID-19 cases is growing by the day, not just in Virginia, but worldwide. As a result, daily life has drastically changed and in many cases put on hold. At Bremo we are doing many things to help limit your risk of being exposed, as well as ours. There is a lot we don’t know about COVID-19, but let’s explore a little bit of what we do know. Here is an update on some helpful reminders to keep you and your loved ones as safe as possible during these uncertain times.
What can I do?
There are many effective ways to protect yourself and prevent the spread of the virus. An important way is washing your hands. Check out our latest newsletter to brush up on how you should wash up. Also, don’t forget to clean surfaces! This includes frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, light switches, counters, tables, remotes, electronic devices, and even mail. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using an EPA-registered household disinfectant (examples: Lysol disinfecting spray, Clorox wipes, and many others), diluted bleach solution, or an alcohol solution with at least 70% alcohol. It is important to clean surfaces regularly even if they do not look dirty because the virus can live on some surfaces for days. You may have seen many people wearing masks, both surgical and cloth. These are most important for those who are sick. It is not recommended to reuse disposable masks and don’t forget to clean cloth masks often. It is also very important to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Another way is social distancing, which is a term used a lot lately. Social distancing is staying at least six feet away, about two arm lengths, from others.
Social distancing can be challenging when you are taking care of someone or you live with others. It is important to do the best you can.
Staying away from friends and loved ones is hard, so why are we doing it?
You may have heard the phrase “flatten the curve”, which means we want to lower the number of people that become sick to ensure we have enough supplies to take care of the ones that do. Therefore you are encouraged to stay home and limit coming in contact with others to lower your risk of catching the virus or spreading it if you are already sick.
I don’t feel well, does that mean I caught the virus?
The symptoms of COVID-19 can often be confused with symptoms of other conditions. There are some common myths about the symptoms. One of the biggest is you have to feel sick in order to be sick. It is important to know that you can have the virus without having symptoms, which is why isolation and social distancing is so important.
If you are having these symptoms, it is important to talk with your doctors and quarantine yourself until you can get tested and get the results to avoid potentially spreading the virus.
The CDC is now encouraging everyone who is sick or awaiting results to wear a mask to limit the spread to those around them. If the sick person can’t wear a cloth face covering, you should wear one while in the same room with them.
Where can I get tested?
Before you get a test, it is important to talk with a healthcare professional. They can refer you to be tested or test you in the office. Also, they may want to rule out something else first and save the tests we do have for people who really need it. The test is a nasal swab and should be done by a trained healthcare professional. There may be a delay in getting the results and it is important to stay quarantined until you receive them.
If you or a loved one test positive, the doctor may or may not prescribe medication. There is currently no approved medication for COVID-19, but there is supportive therapy if needed. It is important to get medical attention right away if you or a loved one develop the following:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion or inability to arouse
- Bluish lips or face
What is Bremo doing?
If you haven’t heard, Bremo Pharmacy @ Henrico Doctors Hospital has temporarily relocated to our sister location, Bremo Pharmacy located at 2024 Staples Mill Road. This was done as a precautionary measure to ensure patients still have access to the pharmacy as the hospital has to enforce strict screening protocols. If you have called Bremo in the past few weeks you may have noticed different people answering the phone at different times. We have split our staff into two separate teams to ensure that we can remain open if one of our staff members gets sick. This does not change the same great service you are used to or the same smiling faces you love seeing. Ensuring your safety, as well as the safety of our staff is a top priority. To do this we are offering some changes in our regular services to offer you the best and safest possible service. If you are unable to come in to pick up your medications, we offer delivery either by our wonderful delivery drivers or by UPS, depending on where you live. For everyone who normally gets delivery, we are continuing the service, but we are trying to limit our direct contact with you for your safety. We are encouraging over the phone payments and allowing us to leave your medications by the door. Everyone is still welcome to come to pick up your medication, for your convenience we are offering curbside pick up. Call (804-641-7038) when you arrive and we will bring everything to your car.
We are encouraging postponing routine immunizations. You are still welcome to call and we will put your name on a list to be called when this service resumes. We are offering medication administration for shots that you would normally get at the doctor’s office, but may not be able to now due to the office being closed. This may include, Depo Provera (medroxyprogesterone), long-acting antipsychotics (Risperdal Consta, Invega Sustenna, etc), and other shots. Our pharmacists will come to your car for screening and administration of these injections. There is a $20 fee and it is by appointment only.
We have also started making our own hand sanitizer, quantities are limited, check out our Bremo Online Shop for more information.
Remember, if you were exposed you can have the virus without even showing symptoms. So, when in doubt, better safe not to go out.
Stay safe and we hope to see you soon!
References:
- Coronavirus (COVID-19). Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC). Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
- Testing for COVID-19. Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Retrieved from: http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/frequently-asked-questions/testing-for-covid-19/
