LYNN (Podcast) The Lynn Community Health Center plays a major role in delivering health services in Lynn. In the past week their operation has made many adjustments to address the concerns over COVID-19 / Caronavirus while maintaining the many health related services the organization provides. In an MSONEWSPORTS podcast Greg Hood, a physician assistant and a primary care team director, shares news and updates from the Lynn Community Health Center. Hood has worked at LCHC for over a decade and the organization is receiving updated guidance from the CDC and other organizations on a daily basis. Additional details and links are posted below the podcast.
Greg Hood – Physician Assistant – Primary Care Team Medical Director – Occupational Health
Links – Lynn Community Health Center Web Site COVID 19 Updates To Donate Click Here
If you have recently traveled to any country on this list(link is external) or have been in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, please call 781-581-3900 BEFORE you visit any LCHC site, including Urgent Care. Your provider will instruct you on what to do.
A message from Chief Medical Officer Geoff Pechinsky, MD
By now, you have likely heard a great deal about the new Coronavirus. Coronavirus, also referred to as COVID-19, is an infectious disease first detected in China and now making its way to various parts of the world, including the United States. Symptoms of Coronavirus include fever, and respiratory symptoms, such as cough and shortness of breath.
Because this is a new virus, we are still learning how it is spread, how contagious it is, and how serious an infection may be. COVID-19 is in a family of viruses similar to the common cold and therefore believed to spread – like other respiratory illness – through coughs or sneezes, or by touching an infected surface or object and then touching your own mouth, nose or eyes.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that most cases of COVID-19 are expected to include mild or possibly no symptoms. Like the seasonal flu, COVID-19 infection is more severe in patients with chronic underlying health conditions (especially chronic lung problems and immune deficiencies) and in the elderly.
At Lynn Community Health Center, we take the safety of our patients and our employees very 
seriously. Therefore, we are taking the following precautions to reduce the risk of spreading illness:
The CDC maintains a list of countries in which there is a high-risk of COVID-19 exposure in the community. The list currently includes China, Iran, South Korea, and most of Europe, though the list is expanding.
Current CDC guidelines are for travelers to these countries to stay home (“self-quarantine”) for 14 days. The guidelines apply even to returning travelers who have no symptoms. If you have an appointment at LCHC for a physical or a routine matter, please call our office, and we will reschedule your appointment. If you have respiratory symptoms or are concerned about your travel history, please call so we may assist you.
If you have not recently traveled to one of the countries on the CDC travel list and you have active respiratory symptoms, please call our office to speak with a nurse. Influenza, bacterial pneumonia and non-COVID-19 infections are very common this time of year and are treated differently from COVID-19. When appropriate, we will provide medical guidance or treatment over the phone. If you are having severe respiratory symptoms, you may be directed to visit the nearest Emergency Room for evaluation and management.
