Baytown Family Health: COVID Prep, Recovery, and Vaccinations

COVID-19 is still a concern this year, even with vaccine rollouts beginning. We’ve collected the most valuable resources and information so you and your loved ones can stay up-to-date on the latest COVID-19 news.

While the vaccine has begun distribution, we will still need to be diligent to ensure that COVID rates begin to decrease in 2021. For the safest, happiest new year ahead, we at Patients ER recommend that the Baytown and Chambers County residents we serve stay on top of all the most recent information pertaining to COVID-19. The listed resources here cover what to do and where to go to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, recovering from the disease should you catch it, and the latest updates on prevention and numbers.

Chambers County & Baytown Resources for the COVID-19 Vaccine

As of the time of this writing, a COVID-19 vaccine is now available in limited quantities to front line workers and vulnerable citizens. Because public health can change on a dime, we highly encourage you and your family to bookmark the following resources that cover the latest on COVID-19 vaccine availability, testing centers, and current numbers in Chambers County, Baytown, and Harris County.

In addition to vaccine availability, these resources help with news on any new strains of coronavirus that may have made their way into the county. These links also serve as guides on the latest cases, available hospital beds, local prevention efforts, school openings and closings, business COVID safety regulations, and more.

Recovering from COVID-19

Our blog, Doctor’s Corner, has several posts about keeping yourself and your loved ones as safe as possible during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To reduce your risk of contracting and spreading the virus, the following reads outline our expert recommendations:

No matter how many precautions you take, it’s still possible to get exposed and contract the illness. If you test positive for the coronavirus but do not require hospitalization, the following measures may help you stay comfortable as you recover:

Break up mucus with over-the-counter decongestants
Check your oxygen levels with a home pulse monitor
Sleep elevated on your side or stomach
Suck on zinc lozenges throughout the day
Take more vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamin C, vitamin D, quercetin, and zinc
Take over-the-counter acetaminophen for fevers
Take baby aspirin to prevent blood clots from immobility
Steam the nose and throat
Sleep with a humidifier

Your physician may also have other suggestions, and may prescribe you steroids and antibiotics to take as required. If you’re currently taking prescription drugs, do not take over-the-counter medication without approval from your doctor first.

However, if your doctor recommends that you go to the hospital for COVID-19, or if your symptoms worsen, go to the hospital or emergency room. You can’t risk your health staying at home and waiting it out. Seek medical intervention immediately if you notice the following signs:

Low oxygen levels
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing while resting
Dizziness or fainting
Pain or pressure in the upper abdomen or chest
Confusion or disorientation
Sudden vision changes
Sudden severe pain
Extreme fatigue, sleepiness, and an inability to wake up
Uncontrollable bleeding
Vomiting or coughing up blood
Problems with speaking
Blueness in the face or lips
Severe vomiting
Severe diarrhea
Fever that does not subside
Cough that worsens and will not subside
Loss of taste or smell

Make sure to keep emergency phone numbers around your home or in your phone for your family’s quick reference. Your health can’t wait.

Your Baytown COVID-19 Resource

Patients ER serves Baytown residents with COVID-19 and other emergencies, and we want you and your family to stay safe and healthy as the pandemic’s course changes. Please keep our phone number, 281-576-0555, on your list of emergency contacts and reach out to us with any questions you may have about the coronavirus or the general health and safety of your family. You and your family’s health are our priority.