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Merrimack Valley Magazine

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Merrimack Valley COVID-19 Update

September 7, 2021 by Katie Lovett

As the new school year gets underway, students and parents are adjusting to a statewide policy that calls for mask-wearing until at least October.

Under the policy adopted days before schools reopened, all public school staff and visitors must wear masks indoors through at least Oct. 1. Children under 5 are also recommended to wear masks.

Some students could be eligible for a medical exemption. Under the order, if a school has a vaccination rate of 80% or more on Oct. 1 when it is set to expire, a district could lift the mandate for those who are vaccinated.

Booster Shots Delayed

Meanwhile, Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, reported on Sunday that he believes Pfizer vaccine booster shots will be available for a Sept. 20 target date, but Moderna shots will be delayed by a few weeks.

The Biden Administration had previously announced a plan to make third doses, or “booster shots,” of the COVID-19 vaccines available by the end of the month. The plan called for Americans, 18 and older, to get the third dose at least eight months after being fully immunized.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised the White House to scale back that recommendation, saying more data was needed.

 

In an appearance on the CBS program “Face the Nation,” Fauci said he believes delivery of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots will be able to start Sept. 20 for Americans who received Pfizer doses, while Moderna and Johnson & Johnson may take several weeks longer. He noted the plan is pending approval by the FDA.

Fauci said it is “conceivable” that for Moderna’s booster, there might be “at most a couple of weeks, a few weeks delay, if any,” while the company provides more data to the FDA on its efficacy.

On Aug. 23, the FDA granted approval to Pfizer’s vaccine for two doses for people 16 and older. Pfizer is the first to receive FDA approval as Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available under an emergency use authorization. For minors ages 12 to 15, Pfizer’s vaccine is still authorized for emergency use.

Currently, the CDC is recommending that individuals who are moderately or severely immuno-compromised receive the additional dose or the booster. That population is especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are more at risk of serious, prolonged illness, according to the CDC, and they may not build the same level of immunity to the two-dose vaccines as those with a healthy immune system.

Latest COVID-19 Numbers:

As of Tuesday, 5 p.m., the state’s COVID-19 statistics were as follows:

New Confirmed Cases             5,484

Total Confirmed Cases            720,175

Total Deaths                           18,298

Full Vaccinations                     4,531,700

Filed Under: Community, Health & Wellness Tagged With: covid19, mask, Massachusetts, Merrimack Valley, School, vaccinations

Wellness Wednesday – 1/27/21

January 27, 2021 by Kristin Cole

Now more than ever, we all want to be healthy. However, for a non-expert looking to share wellness tips, the term “health” can be pretty ambiguous. From physical health to mental health, heart health, brain health, healthy eating, healthy living, and healthy remedies, there is so much encompassed under the term that is so essential to our lives. So how do we make sense of it? For starters, we can keep an open mind and welcome the advice gleaned from articles such as the ones to follow. You don’t need to be a doctor, a gym rat, a personal trainer, or a person with a fast metabolism to be healthy. Health looks different for everyone and thanks to the internet, it is now easier than ever to access health and wellness guidance.

WELLNESS AROUND THE WEB

So let’s consider this week’s Wellness Wednesday a health flight, but instead of small samplings of beverages, we’ve got a sampling of unique links from around the web that give advice on everything from skin care to processed foods to being lucky. Now let’s start sipping.

On Natural Health and Healing

When it comes to health and wellness, I am constantly looking up the healthiest, most organic and earth friendly products and brands. Natural medicine does not always mean using honey to treat a cough and drinking tea to alleviate a headache. In Alan Jay Levinovitz’s “Natural and Unnatural,” the author looks at how natural remedies offer answers that modern medicine can’t, despite being “metaphysically inconsistent and unscientific.” 

“Most ancient medical systems see the well-ordered human body as a microcosm of a larger, harmoniously ordered whole,” Levinovitz writes. “The balance of yin and yang that makes human health possible mirrors the natural cosmic balance that governs the health of nations and the natural world. Suffering is always a result of departing from the natural order of things. It can be avoided by realigning oneself with an order that’s at once physical and metaphysical.”

 

Winter Skin Care

The bitter cold weekend may be behind us, but there’s still a few months of winter ahead. Dry skin is induced by the combination of cold air, low humidity and dry indoor heat. Take care of the largest organ in your body with Healthline’s 11 tips to prevent dry skin. One of the most important things that I learned this winter is that yes, you need sunscreen even when it’s cold out. It’s easy to forget that harmful UV rays still shine in January, which is why it’s important in the winter to remember your SPF.

To Eat or Not to Eat: Processed Foods

These days, the term “processed foods” sounds like something we should avoid at all costs. In many cases, this is true. However, according to writer David Levine, some processed foods are “perfectly healthy and belong in any well-balanced diet.” Check out Levine’s article, which discusses everything you need to know about processed foods. Included are ingredients to avoid — such as maltose, brown sugar and corn syrup — and minimally processed foods such as cut vegetables and roasted nuts.

Accomplish Your Fitness Goals

The next sample on our flight is, of course, fitness. Did you make a new year’s fitness resolution? Or are you simply looking to get more active in 2021? Check out this article from Today.com, which lists five of the most common health goals and the best workouts that help accomplish those goals. Whether you’re interested in getting more sleep, toning your muscles, building endurance or strengthening your core, there’s a workout idea for everyone.

Financial Health (Yes, That’s a Thing)

Health and wellness don’t always need to come from the inside. Outside circumstances have a hefty impact on both our mental and physical health, and the ongoing global pandemic has brought unexpected financial pressures to many of us. Whether you are struggling or satisfied, I recommend you to take a look at writer Cathy Cassata’s eight tips to improving your financial wellness during difficult times. Included in this helpful article are the three components of financial wellness: financial literacy, financial behavior and internal emotions towards money.

Make Your Own Luck

What if someone told you that you can make your own luck? No, not in Harvey Dent’s fashion. It’s all positive, and all in your head. Check out the “serendipity mindset,” described here by Christian Busch.

“You might think of serendipity as passive luck that just happens to you, when actually it’s an active process of spotting and connecting the dots,” Busch writes. “It is about seeing bridges where others see gaps, and then taking initiative and action(s) to create smart luck. Serendipity is a guiding force in great scientific discoveries but it’s also present in our everyday lives, in the smallest of moments as well as the greatest life-changing events.”

Should You “Double Mask”?

One of the many things viewers noticed while watching President Biden’s Inauguration last week was that many politicians wore two masks — one on top of another. For more information on whether or not wearing multiple masks is effective, check out what experts are saying on the matter here. For advice from Dr. Anthony Fauci himself, check out this article.

 ***

GOOD READS & WATCHES

On this week’s edition of good reads and watches, we’ve got a lineup of things you’ve probably never heard in the same sentence: cartilage, licorice and clownfish.

Re-Growth Research — A laboratory study from Stanford School of Medicine has discovered a way to regenerate cartilage, which eases movement between bones. This is a revolutionary development for those who are battling arthritis.

Good News for Twizzlers Fans — Licorice may be known as the beloved stringy candy, but in its pure form, it also provides a variety of health benefits. More interestingly, one can consume this form of licorice as a tea or powder.

Finding Nemo IRL — Check out this fascinating video of the life cycle of a clownfish. It’s like the live action version of “Finding Nemo.” Disney, don’t get any ideas.

***

EVENT TODAY: Living With Dementia During COVID-19 

If you or a loved one is struggling with this dementia-related illnesses during these difficult times, check out Edgewood Retirement Community’s free, online presentation, Living With Dementia During COVID-19. Michael Skrajner, director of research and innovation at the Hearthstone Institute, will share techniques that friends, family members and caregivers can use to help people living with dementia navigate the challenges of COVID-19. This virtual event will take place TODAY, Wed., Jan. 27, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Click here to register.

Filed Under: Health & Wellness Tagged With: financial health, Fitness, Food, healthy eats, luck, mask, natural, skin care, winter

Home Health Foundation Seeks Masks, Gowns and Sanitizer

March 25, 2020 by Digital Manager

Karen Gomes, president and CEO of the Home Health Foundation, sent out the following letter on March 24. The foundation is in desperate need of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N-95 masks, loop masks, protective gowns and hand sanitizer.

Gomes also made an appeal to restaurants and other interested businesses to provide free or discounted meals to their front-line staff.

Contact them at info@homehealthfoundation.org if you can help, and consider sharing this information to your network.

——-

To Our Community,

We are grateful and humbled by the outpouring of concern from our local community as our clinicians and other dedicated staff members respond to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic. We send our heartfelt thanks to the many businesses and individuals who have reached out to ask how they can demonstrate their support during this unprecedented time of crisis.

Like our other Wellforce Health System partners, our healthcare professionals are continuing to follow all safety guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Due to limited supplies nationwide, however, we are all reaching out to community partners that can possibly share their supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) as we plan for a potential surge of patients.

For example, do you know a contractor who can donate N-95 masks? What about veterinarian or dental offices that may have loop masks? Other supplies most needed include protective gowns and hand sanitizer.

While we are unable to receive outside meal and beverage deliveries at our locations due to visitor restrictions designed to decrease the spread of the virus, we encourage restaurants and other interested businesses to consider providing free or discounted purchases options for our front-line staff. Some are now offering free meals or coffee to staff members who show their company ID badge at the time of pick-up.

If you can support our healthcare professionals as they protect the community against COVID-19, please contact info@homehealthfoundation.org.

Thank you for your consideration. We cannot thank you enough for helping us weather this storm.

Sincerely,

Karen Gomes, RN, MS, CPHQ
President and CEO
Home Health Foundation

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Health & Wellness Tagged With: Coronavirus, COVID-19, elderly, Health, home, mask, n95, virus

Home Health Foundation

360 Merrimack Street, Lawrence, MA 01843
Website
Directions
800-933-5593
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Home Health Foundation

For 125 years, Home Health Foundation has delivered high-quality, compassionate home health and hospice care in all the places patients call home. A proud member of Wellforce since 2018, the nonprofit organization includes providers Circle Home, Commonwealth Nursing Services, Hallmark Health VNA, Home Health VNA, Home Health VNA of NH, Merrimack Valley Hospice and York Hospital Hospice. Together, these agencies are leading a new era of innovation, with a relentless focus on transforming home-based care. 360 Merrimack St., Bldg 9 / Lawrence, MA / (800) 933-5593 / HomeHealthFoundation.org
 
Address
360 Merrimack Street, Lawrence, MA 01843
Website
Directions
800-933-5593

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Orangetheory Fitness Chelmsford @DrumHill / (978) 577-5901

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Orangetheory Methuen is celebrating it’s one year anniversary with an
Open House, Saturday June 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Join your friends and neighbors to learn more about the fastest growing workout sensation in the nation. Tour the studio. Meet the coaches. Enter to win a 10 pack of classes. The first 20 people who sign up for a free class at the event will receive a free bonus class, no obligation. 

Click here to learn more! 

Click here to schedule your FREE CLASS in Chelmsford @DrumHill / (978) 577-5901
Click here to schedule your FREE CLASS in Methuen @The Loop / (978) 620-5850

*Free Class for first-time visitors and local residents only.