If you are not sure whether you should see a health care provider, contact your primary care provider, especially if you have a preexisting condition that makes you at high risk for severe illness if you get COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccines continue to be the best way to prevent severe illness from the coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19.

When to Get Tested for COVID-19

Key times to get tested:

• If you have symptoms, test immediately.
• If you were exposed to COVID-19 and do not have symptoms, wait at least five full days after your exposure before testing. If you test too early, you may be more likely to get an inaccurate result.
• If you are in certain high-risk settings, you may need to test as part of a screening testing program.
• Consider testing before contact with someone at high risk for severe COVID-19, especially if you are in an area with a medium or high COVID-19 Community Level.

If your symptoms are life-threatening, seek care at the closest hospital emergency department.

Care for things other than COVID-19

Same-day care

If you need same-day care and can’t get an appointment with your primary care provider, you can get care at a Norton Immediate Care Center or a Norton Prompt Care at Walgreens clinic for issues including:

• Cough
• Earache
• Fever
• Flu
• Minor animal bites
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Minor burns or cuts
• Minor injuries
• Pinkeye
• Rash or skin irritation
• Sore throat
• Urinary tract infection
• Suspected broken bone (Norton Immediate Care Center only)

Care from your home

Norton eCare offers video and phone visits for conditions that are not complex, and are not an emergency or a life-threatening situation. For example:

• Eye, nose and throat issues, such as pinkeye
• Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting
• Skin rash, insect bites and poison ivy
• Urinary issues

See a full list here.

Emergency care

Serious issues requiring care in an emergency department include:

• Chest pain
• Stroke symptoms (numbness in face, arm or leg; trouble speaking; sudden severe headache)
• Loss of consciousness or patient is unresponsive
• Major injury or head trauma
• Seizure (for those not diagnosed with epilepsy)
• Severe shortness of breath or asthma attack
• Severe burn or wound
• Shock
• Uncontrollable bleeding
• Vomiting blood

If you have a concern that you think is an emergency and your symptoms are life-threatening, call 911 or go to an emergency department right away.

The post Where to get a COVID-19 test appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Both infections can cause:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Body aches
• Headache
• Vomiting and diarrhea (more common in children than adults)

One frequent symptom of COVID-19 that doesn’t come with flu is a newly lost sense of taste or smell.

Emergency warning signs of infection from the coronavirus include:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Bluish lips or face

With either illness, contact a health care provider with any severe or troubling symptoms.

It can be difficult to tell based solely on symptoms whether an illness is COVID-19 or flu. Confirmation of either would have to come from a nasal swab test.

The common cold typically comes with a runny, stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat and body aches. Fever is not a common cold symptom, and while fever often accompanies flu, it doesn’t always.

Who’s vulnerable to COVID-19 or flu?

Anyone can get sick from the coronavirus or the flu — or both. Serious complications from these viruses can happen at any age.

Those who are older and those with severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious illness with COVID-19.

Similarly, the flu can strike anyone. As with COVID-19, anyone over 65 and people of any age with certain chronic conditions such heart or lung disease, diabetes, or asthma are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications. Flu can hit pregnant women and children under age 5 particularly hard. Kids younger than 2 years old are especially at risk.

The post COVID-19 or flu? Each has some similar symptoms, but there are key differences appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Based on the experience in Australia, the 2022-2023 flu season predictions are for a tough winter.

From mid-April through the end of June in Australia, weekly confirmed cases of flu consistently exceeded five-year averages, according to the weekly Australian Influenza Surveillance Report.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of mid-October early indications of flu activity in the southeastern and south-central portions of the U.S. could signal an early start to this year’s spread of the virus.

Flu illnesses tend to peak between December and February, although many people still get sick as late as May.

“Even if the flu is spreading around you, it’s not too late to get vaccinated,” said Monalisa M. Tailor, M.D., an internal medicine physician and primary care provider with Norton Community Medical Associates. “Getting vaccinated by the end of October will give you about six months of protection through the worst of flu season. Your protection starts about two weeks after you get the shot.”

Read more

Influenza B can be severe in children

What’s the best time to get a flu shot?

Seasonal influenza hasn’t been much of an issue the past two seasons as steps to avoid COVID-19 also prevented the spread of flu. But for the 2022-2023 flu season, predictions of resurgent flu viruses are combining with expectations of another COVID-19 surge this winter. Wearing masks, traveling less and other precautions to avoid COVID-19 slowed the spread of respiratory viruses during the past two seasons.

“Because we took steps to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19, fewer people, especially young children, have flu exposure through getting sick or vaccination,” Dr. Tailor said. “Getting vaccinated against flu right away and COVID-19 when you are scheduled for a shot or booster can help prevent these sometimes deadly diseases.”

If you are due for the COVID-19 vaccine or a booster, you can get it at the same time you get your flu shot.

As for the illnesses, it’s also possible to get flu and COVID-19 at the same time. A recent study found that in 2020 and 2021, those who were infected with both viruses faced significantly increased odds of death.

The post A severe flu season south of the equator raises concerns appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

“We were seeing a rise in the need for mental health care even before the lockdown in 2020,” said Nicole Ryan, DNP, APRN, a nurse practitioner with Norton Behavioral Medicine. “Post-COVID-19 stress disorder has emerged as a real issue for people.”

Here are some things to try and ideas to consider.

What to do if you feel depressed or anxious

“There are lots of things you can do on your own at home that can help boost your mental health,” Nicole said.

Here’s a short (not exhaustive) list of things you can do to help yourself feel better:

• General preventive wellness: See your primary care provider and any specialists (dentist, OB/GYN, etc.) for yearly checkups.
• Good sleep: Chronic lack of sleep can contribute to depression and anxiety, so be sure to get a solid eight hours a night.
• Basic hygiene: If you are not bathing regularly, doing laundry so you have clean clothing or brushing your teeth, that could be a signal of depression.
• Meditation: This is an age-old beneficial coping skill that can be done almost anywhere, anytime. There are also smartphone apps, books and free resources online for meditation.
• Journaling: Writing things down can get the thoughts out of our heads so they don’t interfere with our lives.
• Nutrition: Eating a healthy balanced diet helps our mood.

Community and spirituality

Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the last two years of uncertainty and upheaval extends beyond our physical bodies and well into the emotional and spiritual realms, too.

“Spiritual care works in harmony with physical care to help us feel stable, balanced, and happy,” said the Rev. Amy C. Helwig, M.Div., MAMFT, a chaplain with Norton Healthcare.

The past two years of quarantines and isolation have kept people from participating in so many of the activities they had been doing, including religious services, volunteering and social gatherings.

“This takes its toll,” Amy said.

Chaplains like Amy can serve as spiritual counselors, but they are also bridges to other resources such as individual coaching, work-life balance, and financial well-being.

Getting help with mental health

“There is still a lot of stigma surrounding mental health,” Nicole said. “But one of the benefits of the last two years has been the expansion of access to mental health resources.”

Many mental health counselors are available via online/video chat or phone call. Many employers offer an employee assistance program (EAP), which provide free or reduced-cost mental health services.

“Just talking to someone helps,” said Nicole. “Family, a friend, your primary care doctor – reaching out in whatever way feels comfortable will be beneficial.”

The post Mental and spiritual health after COVID-19: Stress, depression and anxiety appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Infants born to vaccinated mothers were shown to have antibodies in their systems, offering a level of protection against COVID-19 that otherwise would not exist. These antibodies were higher in vaccinated mothers than those who’d had COVID-19. Children under age 5 are currently not eligible to receive a vaccine. Discussions are underway to grant an emergency use authorization that will make children ages 6 months to 5 years eligible to receive the vaccine produced by Pfizer. However, that still does not offer protection to younger infants.

Still more research released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that babies born to a parent who had received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine were 60% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 in the first six months.

“We know that the vaccine is safe during pregnancy, and knowing it offers protection for infants makes it a stronger case for patients to receive it,” said Maria R. Schweichler, M.D., an OB/GYN with Norton Women’s Care. “This is something all pregnant patients should feel comfortable doing to protect their unborn child.”

Having COVID-19 while pregnant increases risks of maternal death and possible complications

Patients who get COVID-19 while pregnant have an increased risk of being admitted to intensive care, being placed on a ventilator and even death, compared with those without COVID-19 and those who are not pregnant but have COVID-19.

Additional research shows that infection with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 makes pregnant patients at greater risk for maternal death, infant growth restrictions, stillbirth or serious complications. It also increases the risk of preterm birth and of an infant needing care in the neonatal intensive care unit.

COVID-19 can damage the placenta, increasing the risk of stillbirth

The placenta is a lifeline for an unborn baby. A new study in the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine found that the placenta can be destroyed by COVID-19, causing stillbirth. The damage to the placenta deprived the infant of oxygen.

“During this pandemic, you can still have a healthy pregnancy,” Dr. Schweichler said. “You need to do everything you can to avoid getting COVID-19, including masking, distancing and practicing good hand hygiene.

One of the most important things to do, however, is get the COVID-19 vaccine. It will protect you from severe illness, reduce the risks of a severe complication in your pregnancy and even protect your unborn child.”

Pregnant patients can get the COVID-19 at their Norton Women’s Care obstetrician’s office.

The post Protection from the COVID-19 vaccine is passed on to babies appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

KORT physical therapy’s Recovery and Reconditioning Program, R2 for short, aims to improve strength, mobility and endurance so people can return to their prior level of functioning, according to Corey Malone, DPT, clinical director of KORT – Six Mile.

For some, being sick with COVID-19 has meant a long period of inactivity. This deconditioning can lead to loss of muscle mass, reduced flexibility, joint stiffness, balance issues and other concerns.

“Deconditioning can happen to anyone for a number of reasons. It can impact your overall function, safety and quality of life. Reconditioning is possible, so you are not doomed if you’re deconditioned,”  Corey said during a recent Norton Infectious Diseases Institute presentation, “COVID Comeback: Recovery, Exercise and Reconditioning.”

With exercise and strength training, people can start feeling stronger and having more energy after only two weeks. It takes six to eight weeks of exercise after COVID-19 to see physical changes in the muscles, according to Corey.

In the R2 Program, licensed physical and occupational therapists tailor a plan to address each individual’s needs and goals so they can resume pre-COVID-19 activities. The program typically takes 15 visits over two months.

People with Medicare or Medicaid need to see their primary doctor first to get a referral for physical therapy. In Kentucky, people with private insurance can call a physical therapy clinic directly and make an appointment. Patients generally get an appointment within 24 to 48 hours.

Exercise after COVID-19 can reverse the toll of weeks of inactivity

Inactivity can cause big changes in the body quickly, according to Corey. Bedridden patients can lose up to 12% of muscle a week. That means in three to five weeks, someone can lose almost half their normal strength.

“It does not take that long to get weak,” Corey said.

Inactivity also results in muscles getting shorter, resulting in less flexibility. This process, called muscle contracture, can develop in as little as four days.

“It can take months or years to reverse that, so it’s pretty significant,” Corey said. “If you’re not able to move your body the way that it’s supposed to move, you can start to develop other issues walking or getting in and out of bed or a car.”

It can start to lead to pain and balance issues, according to Corey. In addition, inactivity can lead to changes in joint and bone structure, meaning you can develop osteoporosis and arthritis by not moving your joints.

“When you become deconditioned, you become weak and you become stiff. That can really make simple movements labored and painful,” Corey said. “When it takes more effort to move your body, it can drain you of your energy levels.

“This can become, you can imagine, a vicious cycle where you lose motivation to move because it hurts and it’s difficult, and then you start to suffer from more muscle atrophy or muscle loss and joint stiffness.”

Exercise after COVID-19 can help maintain overall mobility, halting a decline that can lead to needing a walker or cane.

Therapists screen patients just starting out in the R2 Program for fall risks. Patients  receive information on a safe home environment. For example, making sure there are no rugs around the house that could pose a tripping hazard. The R2 program also offers education on what are safe vital signs during exercise.

The post Exercise after COVID-19 can reverse the “deconditioning” of being sick appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that the emergence of the omicron variant emphasizes the importance of vaccines and boosters, especially ahead of in-person and indoor holiday gatherings.

Current vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths from omicron infections. Breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated people are still likely, and vaccines have remained effective at preventing severe illness with infections from previous COVID-19 virus variants.

Those 18 and older who received their second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine six or more months ago are eligible for a Moderna booster. Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine recipients 18 and older are eligible for a booster two or more months after vaccination.

The CDC expects that the omicron variant spreads more easily than the original COVID-19 virus, but it isn’t known yet whether it spreads easier than the delta variant. The CDC expects that anyone with an omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.

The post COVID-19 Pfizer booster approval expanded to 16 and older appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

It’s just about the only thing some of us still have after the pandemic took everything else.

It’s taken me nine months, and many hours of therapy, to understand that I can’t fault other people for not understanding what it’s like to have COVID-19, or to be a COVID-19 long-hauler.

I can’t get angry at people who live their lives like nothing ever happened, when I’m still trying to put mine back together.

It was the hand I was dealt, and I thank God every day that I never folded.

I’m blessed to be alive, while at the same time heartbroken for those who weren’t as lucky.

Many of them never had the chance to get vaccinated.

They never had their shot of hope.

But, as this dreadful pandemic wears on, that has changed for the rest of us, the survivors who have made it this far.

There is no shortage of shots, and there are plenty of places to roll up your sleeve and get it.

Yet, here we are.

People are still testing positive for COVID-19, and people are still dying from it.

We have been down this road before. The journey has been gut-wrenching, and if we don’t do something soon the destination won’t be any better.

This highly contagious delta variant is spreading across the globe, and it is attacking our most vulnerable communities: those who are unvaccinated.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about a third of the U.S. population hasn’t had at least one vaccine dose.

It is terrifying to know a target is on their back and the virus is patiently waiting to strike.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge advocate for getting your COVID-19 vaccine.

The second my teenage daughters were old enough to get vaccinated, they did.

The shots save lives.

And if you were to get the virus, it can reduce the severity of any illness.

Like all things in life, there are exceptions, but science doesn’t lie.

I’ve heard from hundreds of people who simply won’t get it, or don’t want to.

Some of my dear friends fall into that category.

It is not my job to change their mind, or yours, but I’m blessed with the opportunity to share my story, and maybe that will encourage someone to change their mind.

I know I’m not a doctor or a medical expert, but know what COVID-19 is about, and I promise you — you don’t want it.

I would take anything and do anything to make sure the horrendous pain my mind and body endured from this virus never happens again.

Sure, you may get it and be fine.

But, you may not, like me.

Or you could end up like nearly 700,000 Americans and millions around the word who have died.

Life isn’t guaranteed, but there are steps we can take to change it for the better — if not for ourselves, then for those around us.

When I decided to get vaccinated in March, every risk was outweighed by the reward of knowing I would have an extra layer of protection if I came face to face with the devil himself again.

First Pfizer dose

It had been four months since I tested positive for COVID-19, and through all of the excruciating ups and downs since then, getting vaccinated marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life, focused on my health.

When I walked into the Norton Healthcare Vaccine Clinic to get the Pfizer vaccine, I was greeted by an assembly line of health care workers, checking people in, getting their insurance cards and information, and sending them on their way to get vaccinated.

It was a well-oiled machine.

I was nervous, but I lived through the horror of having COVID-19 and knew any possible reaction I would have to the vaccine would never live up to the virus itself.

And I was right.

I couldn’t even feel the first shot.

It was in and out before I knew it, and I was on my way to the waiting area where I sat for 15 minutes to be monitored for any reaction.

By the time I made it home my head was already throbbing, and I could barely keep my eyes open. I took a nap in the same room I spent 17 days in quarantine months before.

I noticed my shortness of breath was slightly more noticeable after I got my first shot, but after a few days it improved.

I also was achy following my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

This was one of the few symptoms I did not have during my battle with COVID-19.

While I waited to get my second dose of the vaccine, my long-hauler symptoms persisted.

Debilitating migraine headaches, shortness of breath, brain fog, fatigue and the newest one: hair loss.

About two weeks before my first shot, and four months after I tested positive for COVID-19, my hair started falling out.

First gradually, then in clumps.

My neurologist, Brian M. Plato, D.O., at Norton Neuroscience Institute, told me hair loss is a symptom some of his long-hauler patients have reported, and he recommended that I try prenatal vitamins.

I followed orders, did my part, and waited for my brain and body to follow suit.

I had heard from other long-haulers who said some of their symptoms went away after they were fully vaccinated.

This was all I needed to keep me going for the next 21 days.

Second Pfizer shot

The same well-oiled machine was waiting for me.

My same broken body was, too. I hadn’t been feeling great leading up to the big day. When it rains, it pours, right?

To be on the safe side I got tested for COVID-19 before my shot, and my test came back negative, so through the sniffles and fatigue I drove back to the vaccine clinic, rolled up my sleeve and got my second dose.

I wouldn’t be fully vaccinated for another couple weeks as by body’s immune response made antibodies in response to the vaccine. But when the nurse handed me my proof of vaccination card, I just sat there, the last four months flashing before my eyes.

What a journey it had been, and how grateful I was for the opportunity to get vaccinated.

Like the first shot, I had a headache by the time I got home, and I also had an upset stomach.

I was exhausted, and spent most of the day in bed.

It took a few days to feel like my (long-hauler) self again, but as quickly as it hit me, any side effects I had from the vaccine were gone.

Any worries I had about a possible reaction from the vaccine were gone.

The hope I had for a better tomorrow, a new beginning and a healthier life, were more present than ever before.

This was my shot of hope, and boy did I need it.

It’s been months since I’ve been fully vaccinated, and slowly some of my long-hauler symptoms have faded away.

My hair eventually stopped falling out, my shortness of breath was tolerable and most days it wasn’t noticeable. My migraine symptoms have become somewhat regulated.

I still struggle with brain fog, some days terribly, but I find hope in how far I’ve come, not how far I have left to go.

I passed that hope onto my 13- and 14-year old daughters, who are also fully vaccinated.

They’ve walked this road with me, many times lighting my way, and I couldn’t be prouder of them for their strength, their courage and their decision to do what they felt was right for their own health.

A decision we all have, and we should all respect.

That’s another journey, for another day.

The post Lauren Jones: ‘My shot of hope’ appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

It can take almost a week after exposure to COVID-19 to have a positive test result.

If you are fully vaccinated, you should wait three to five days after exposure before getting a test. Evidence suggests that testing tends to be less accurate within three days of exposure. Wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until you get a negative test result.

If you aren’t fully vaccinated, quarantine right away after you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19. If you develop symptoms, get tested right away. Otherwise, wait five to seven days.

COVID-19’s incubation period lasts up to 14 days. If you have the virus, it takes time to build up in your system. Early testing can result in samples that don’t contain enough of the virus’ genetic material to show a positive result. A COVID-19 test is limited in that it represents only a snapshot in time. A negative PCR test for COVID-19 does not mean that an individual is free of infection, but rather that, at that particular moment, the sample did not contain viral levels at a high enough concentration to be measured as a positive.

“If you aren’t vaccinated, it’s important to quarantine to limit the spread of the virus if you were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more,” said Steven Patton, D.O., family medicine physician at Norton Community Medical Associates – Preston. “The length of time spent with the person is irrelevant if you hugged or kissed, shared utensils or a drink, or were on the receiving end of a sneeze or cough.”

If you aren’t fully vaccinated, isolate yourself at home while awaiting test results even if you don’t have symptoms. Follow CDC guidelines for quarantine and isolation.

While in quarantine, watch for a fever, shortness of breath or other COVID-19 symptoms. Those who are experiencing severe or life-threatening symptoms should seek emergency care immediately.

The post If you’re fully vaccinated, wait a few days after a COVID-19 exposure before getting tested appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

After about a month of treatment for blood clots in her right lung, Linda, 53, passed out. That, combined with the blood clots, led to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of her head being ordered.

She and her doctors were surprised at what they found: a brain tumor about the size of a golf ball growing behind her left eye.

“I was shocked because I hadn’t been experiencing symptoms that would have made me even think that was a possibility,” Linda said.

The tumor was big enough that it likely had been growing for some time and was starting to press on her optic nerve. The tumor could be cancer and quite certainly could lead to blindness, a stroke or worse.

Treatment close to home

Linda consulted a neurosurgeon in Louisville. Due to the location and complexity of her tumor, the surgeon recommended Norton Neuroscience Institute executive director and neurosurgeon David A. Sun. M.D., Ph.D.

That same referring surgeon also recommended Linda look at places outside of Kentucky, like the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic.

Staying close to home was important for Linda, so she met with Dr. Sun.

“He said to me, ‘Listen, I respect this tumor, but I am not afraid of it,’” she said. “I felt like going to Norton Neuroscience Institute and Norton Brownsboro Hospital with Dr. Sun would give me the greatest chance for success.”

Linda would need surgery, but it would be too risky until the blood clots in her lung cleared. That took six months — time enough for Linda to attend her daughter’s wedding and see her son graduate from veterinary school. In June 2021, it was time for the tumor to come out.

“We have a comprehensive team at our Brain Tumor Center dedicated to treating these types of tumors,” Dr. Sun said. “This was a challenging tumor because of the size and location, but we were very comfortable taking care of her because we do these kinds of cases on a regular basis.”

Early in the morning the day after Dr. Sun removed the tumor at Norton Brownsboro Hospital, Linda said, Dr. Sun and others came to her room.

“I could feel their excitement,” Linda said. “He said he had gotten close to 99% of this tumor, which they thought was benign. We found that out later it was.”

Because he was able to remove so much of the tumor and with it being benign (not cancerous), Dr. Sun was confident in Linda’s future

“I have a very strict rule when you’re doing brain tumor, which is that it’s impossible to know if you get every little part out,” Dr. Sun said. “The great news for Linda is her tumor is benign and because we removed so much of it, the tumor is very unlikely to grow back.”

Road to recovery … and looking back to COVID

Two months removed from surgery and Linda was back at work. She continues to recover but said she feels great.

“My brain feels so renewed,” she said. “It feels like from pre-surgery that my brain has gone from seeing in black and white to an explosion of color from having that massive tumor off my brain.”

She also thinks back and realizes that while nobody wants to get COVID-19, the clot it created made it possible for her brain tumor to be discovered before it caused any lasting damage.

“Now I’m a lady of faith, so I believe it was divine intervention. But medically speaking, we wouldn’t have found this until I could have had a severe seizure, a stroke or lost my vision. So in a weird way, COVID may have saved my life,” Linda said.

Great care here at home

Linda had the option to go to other national centers for her treatment. She chose Norton Neuroscience Institute and is glad she did.

“In my mind that would be the first place I would suggest people to go to because of the experience that I’ve had,” Linda said. I feel like having Dr. Sun’s hands operating on my brain and the intensity with what he had to do brought me through alive and functioning like this.”

Linda will continue to see Dr. Sun to check on whether the tumor tries to return. In the meantime, Dr. Sun had a message for Linda.

“I don’t want her to have to worry anymore. That’s my job. I’ll watch that tumor for her. She just needs to get back to living her life again.”

The post COVID-19 was a blessing for this woman — it helped reveal a brain tumor appeared first on Norton Healthcare.