Posted on January 12, 2021 - The holidays are over, and we’re returning to normal life—or, what passes as normal during the time of a pandemic. Most of us are excited about the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, and hopefully we are continuing to follow the guidance of health experts to protect ourselves and others from exposure to the virus. Though the holidays are usually all about crowds and closeness, this year we were strongly advised to avoid gatherings. But experts now report that many Americans decided to risk travel and gatherings, and this has fueled a spike in cases. Many people are now learning that family and friends with whom they visited have tested positive for the virus. They might be notified by the infected person, or they might be contacted by a public health worker to inform them of the exposure.
Posted on January 7, 2021 - Con artists often take advantage of events in the news as they create bogus schemes to part us from our money. And what has been a bigger news story than the COVID-19 pandemic? Scammers have been busy. They’ve been selling phony preventative and treatment cures, masks with impossible powers, and useless disinfection devices. As soon as public health agencies began contact tracing, scammers began impersonating them to access the personal information of unwitting victims.
Posted on January 5, 2021 - Among the other side effects of COVID-19 and the accompanying quarantine, dentists say that more patients are calling with broken or cracked teeth—a result of the stress we’re experiencing, which we often take out on our teeth with clenching or grinding. But broken teeth aren’t the only oral health problem that’s increased. Many patients are experiencing jaw pain, likely due to disorders of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
Posted on December 24, 2020 - None of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the United States uses the live virus that causes COVID-19. You may have symptoms like a fever after you get a vaccine. This is normal and a sign that your immune system is learning how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19.
Posted on December 22, 2020 - Your best protection from COVID-19 will be a combination of getting a COVID-19 vaccine, wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds, and washing your hands often. No one tool alone is going to stop the pandemic.