Asymptomatic Carriers? Take their Temp Anyway!

This blog has been updated! Here’s some recent updates as of July 15, 2020:

• Besides the point that Dr. Anthony Fauci and the Governor of Oregon said that everyone should wear masks, the CDC says that Masks are the most important weapon to help the community protect itself and its most vulnerable members.
• The Coronavirus apparently CAN become “airborne” in very small droplets, that can remain ambient in a room for some time, and may travel at least 8 feet from someone over time.
• Not all hand cleaners are great. A large number of brands originating in China and Mexico have been recalled and may be toxic. Do your shopping.
• Do not try to manufacture your own hand sanitizer.
• You can now buy Isopropyl alcohol at most Drug stores but they may limit you to one bottle at a time. 90% is better than 70%.  Use a small spray bottle to sanitize things fast, spray a lot; let it air dry.
• The air filters on airplanes cannot filter small enough for the Coronavirus. You must wear a mask on an airplane, and insist that all around you wear a mask. We recommend an N95 mask, although they are hard to get even now.
• “Presence of” Fever is a great indicator, but there are other indicators. “No Fever” (by itself) is not a good indicator that there is no Coronavirus. With the new Infrared Thermometers, which tend to read low, a 100 degree target temperature is set to start thinking about a “low fever.”  At Blue Heron, a body temp of 99.8 sets off a “Red Alert” (lights and sound) on our scanners. Low fevers can become high fevers; fevers that persist are an even larger concern. We pay a lot of attention to temperatures and have turned folks around at the door so we can protect our community.

This blog will be updated as guidance continues to improve.

We face a challenge daily with the different ways many, many people – in this county, this state, this country – are reacting to the Pandemic. At Blue Heron Chiropractic, we are supporting all of the possible protections to keep 100% of our community safe, and we refuse to compromise on Safety.  There is a lot to be known – and a lot to keep track of simultaneously. Add in the concept of Asymptomatic Carriers, and things get even more confusing. So why take temperatures, if some folks will not ever show a fever?   Despite variations in attitude, we are going to scan you – every time. 

We have, for example, “Maskers” and “Mask Deniers”. We have folks that refuse to wear any mask at all – ever – coming up against folks that wear a mask when they are all alone driving in their car with the windows up. I can see those people out the front window of the clinic at this moment. No, we don’t allow “Never Maskers” into the building. For the record, we enforce masking 100% of the time at Blue Heron Chiropractic; don’t settle for less! We additionally have HEPA-13 Air Purifiers that run in every room to catch anything that leaks around a mask.  We are temperature scanning everyone and ourselves, and also run a quick Blood Oximeter test on everybody to help them understand their respiratory health. We ask the Covid-19 questions before every visit (ONLY TAKES A MOMENT!). We are sanitizing the space in between patients. No big deal once you get it going!  We are just an average chiropractor on NE Broadway, right? 

For the record, back to the Asymptomatic Carrier argument. There are a solid number of folks testing “Coronavirus Positive” that don’t show any symptoms. These fall into two categories – ones that will never show any symptoms, and ones that are likely to show at least some symptoms – like a fever – within 14 days. It’s true, some of these folks might never get “sick”. So, does this mean that not testing everyone’s temperature is a waste because it is invalid? NO, this conclusion would represent a logic error. What this means that we need to be even more systematic about frequently testing everyone, so we can catch at least the ones we can, before they become Vectors and infect the community. Yes, it’s “a drag” – but it’s a worthy battle.

And yes – many of you know that my – Doctor Sibilla’s – 90-year-old father in New Jersey, and his cousin, my uncle – in France, were early victims of SARS-CoVID-2 D614. I think that with earlier knowledge and faster precautions, they might still be alive. Many of my friends have no losses – so it is all relative how they will see this; it’s abstract to them. The clinic has checked up on patients who never rescheduled for visits in 2020, who have told us about the health impact of getting this virus and recovering. Please, don’t get fooled by rhetoric and political posturing. While the life you may save may not need to be your own, you may protect and save a vulnerable member of our community, such as your neighbor’s 65-year-old Sister. And even young people can be impacted by this – but that’s for another blog. Hang in there! Schedule an appointment and let’s be safe and cooperative.