PMG Pediatrics

We are hiring a Medical Assistant in our Pediatric Office. If you are interested please send your resume to [email protected]

Health Update # 14: Covid-Again?! 🦠 😷

Welcome to 2022 and yes, we continue in the Covid fog. First, the original Covid strain, then Delta last summer/fall and now Omicron.

By now, many of you have probably had Covid at least once and particularly this last strain-Omicron. Fortunately, even though it has been much more contagious, the symptoms for most have been more mild. Many of you have reported to me that you had mild to moderate “cold” symptoms and that your children even had milder symptoms in most circumstances.

What do the current symptoms look like? 🤔
They include sore throat, headache, cough, runny nose, sometimes vomiting and diarrhea, tiredness and fever. Most people have several of the symptoms to varying degrees of severity.

What can you do when you get sick?

Many of the illnesses are short lived so you may only have to quarantine for 5 days if your asymptomatic by day 5 and there is no recommendation to retest at the end of 5 days. I recommend when you get sick to get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, take vitamin D (which I recommend you take everyday anyways-see previous health update on vitamin D recommendations) and eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Hot/cold alternating showers can also invigorate the immune system.

What about vaccines? 💉
We get a lot of questions from you as parents as to whether or not to vaccinate your children against Covid-particularly the 5-11 year old group. It is pretty well established that vaccines are effective against Covid versus not vaccinating. I watch the hospitalization rates at Enloe bi-weekly, and the number of people hospitalized who have not been vaccinated against Covid are between 70-90% of those hospitalized for Covid. So obviously, getting vaccinated doesn’t guarantee you won’t get Covid or even hospitalized, but it significantly improves your odds of not. For children, the risk of serious illness or hospitalization is pretty low, so why get vaccinated and is it safe?

Safety: the main concern has been the development of myocarditis or inflammation of the heart. 🫀

Through Dec 9, there have been over 7.1 million doses of Covid vaccine given to children ages 5-11 and only 8 cases of myocarditis have occurred. That’s about 1 in a million chance of your children getting myocarditis from the vaccine. The risk of developing myocarditis from getting Covid is 1000 times higher. Also, getting your child vaccinated against Covid will help decrease transmission of Covid in the community and it certainly helps with travel restrictions and attendance to certain functions. However, we continue to respect the right of parents to choose for their children what they feel is best for them. We just strive to be a place that you trust as a reliable source of information!

God bless you and your precious kids this year!
Dr. Logan

Health Update #12 Thanksgiving 🦃

The practice of giving thanks and particularly the 4th Thursday of November every year in the U.S.

Why give thanks? And to who and for what? Does it affect my health? 🤔

The motive behind thankfulness is gratitude-grace, graciousness or gratefulness. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives. Multiple studies by psychologists have found that those who practice gratitude/thankfulness are happier, exercise more and have to see the doctor less. Sounds great doesn’t it!
So what am I thankful for?
I’m thankful for my loyal and hardworking staff.
Sara-who came to us from Dr. Wassermann’s after he retired. Her boundless energy, her spark and her love for our patients.
Ashley-who’s quiet and calm demeanor yet passion for caring for our patients is so evident.
Leah-who keeps us functioning so well on the patient care side of things and “mothers” our patients with true love.
Cambria-who cheerfully greets our patients on the phone and at reception and is always ready to help out in any way she can.
Annie-the “glue” that holds our practice together! Her leadership and passion elevate all of us to a higher level and that translates to you our patients as well!
I’m also thankful for my colleagues in the practice.
Dr. Pham- her cheerfulness, her deep devotion to our patients, the spark she gives to our practice. We can’t wait until she’s back in February!
Stacey Riley- our nurse practitioner who has been a delight to work with. Her hard work, determination to do the very best for her patients and cheerfulness are a blessing.
Dr. Mallory-we’re so thankful that she’s back and survived a long hard year of breast cancer treatment. She once again is providing the caring, loving treatment of her patients that she has given for so many years.
I’m thankful for the love of my life, my wife Lyndia. And so thankful for my adult children and their spouses. And for wonderful friends and a community I love to be a part of.
And I’m thankful to you parents and patients who put your trust in me, my colleagues and our office.
And most of all, to Jesus who is the Light of the World and from whom all blessings flow.

Blessings,
Dr. Logan