Recommendations for Reopening Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic
One of the top questions on everyone’s mind regarding moving toward a “new normal” in our community is how to safely open schools again. With COVID-19 cases continuing to climb in the United States and parents feeling the financial burden of keeping their children at home, everyone is wondering what the best plan of action is for reopening schools in the next few weeks. On a local level, the Hamilton
Types of Masks Used to Prevent COVID-19
There are a few different types of masks that can be utilized to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Read more for information about the different types of masks. On July 10th, 2020, a mask mandate went into effect for Hamilton County, Tennessee. You can read more about this mandate including fast facts, restrictions, and expectations for Lung Docs patients here. Surgical Masks Also called a "medical mask," a
Hamilton County Mask Mandate
On Monday, July 6th, in an attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger approved a mask mandate. Facial coverings shall fit snugly and securely against the side of the face. Cloth masks are preferred and should ideally include multiple layers of fabric. Surgical and other medical masks such as N95 are not required. According to the executive order, these should be preserved for health care personnel.
Let’s Talk About Masks
Separate research groups (including this report from Nature.com and this report from Annals of Internal Medicine) report that surgical face masks reduced the presence of influenza and coronavirus RNA in respiratory droplets and aerosols from infected individuals. This supports the CDC guidelines for the public. The CDC has recommended that the general population begin wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (grocery stores,
Chattanooga, Tennessee COVID-19 Resources
While we’ve found ourselves in a strange time with a lot of uncertainty, our local government has risen to the task and has developed many resources for Hamilton County citizens to utilize. Here is a list of local COVID-19 resources for the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. Hamilton County, Tennessee Free Community Testing Free COVID-19 testing is available at a local community testing site: Bonnyshire Site 7460 Bonnyshire Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37416 HOURS: Monday–Friday 9:00–10:30 A.M. INFORMATION: Maximum
The New Normal: Adjusting to Life After COVID-19 Quarantine
Several weeks after “shelter-in-place” orders effectively shut down businesses all across the country, many states are beginning to slowly lift those orders. The speed with which this is done and what type of businesses are open first varies from state to state. Many people are wondering what comes next - is it really safe to patronize our favorite restaurants, get a haircut, and participate in daily activities that we took
COPD Treatment: Are Inhaled Corticosteroids Effective?
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD for short) is an umbrella term that includes and describes progressive lung diseases. Lung diseases that fall under the COPD umbrella include emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and non-reversible asthma. What causes COPD varies; it is commonly caused by long-term smoking, but non-smokers can also develop COPD if over-exposed to lung-damaging irritants. In rare cases, COPD is caused by a condition called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). COPD cannot be
Surviving Lung Cancer
Surviving Lung Cancer: How Early Diagnosis and Treatment Improves Survival Odds Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both males and females with 228,150 new lung cancer cases diagnosed annually. According to The Chest Foundation, lung cancer makes up about 14% of all new cancer diagnoses in the U.S. on an annual basis. Lung cancer is broken down into two types: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), and Small-Cell
How Do I Treat Asthma During Pregnancy?
With pregnancy comes big life changes. Suddenly, you’re thinking about what brand of diapers to buy, what sort of car seat is the safest, and whether or not your daily cup of coffee is going to have to stop. I see a lot of pregnant patients in my office, and the top concern that brings them to me is asthma—primarily, how to treat it, and if their standing asthma medications
Why Can’t I Stop Coughing?
Hear that sound? Of course you do, you’ve been hearing it for what seems like forever. It’s the sound of you coughing… again. What is a chronic cough? Pulmonologists (respiratory doctors) consider a cough to be chronic when it lasts eight weeks or longer in adults and four weeks or longer in children. A chronic, non-resolving cough can disrupt your sleep and your life. It can be painful, cause nausea