Charleston Pulmonary Associates continues to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) regarding management of COVID-19.

The most important and effective means of avoiding illness and decreasing spread remain:

• wearing masks in public
• practicing careful hand hygiene
• avoiding large gatherings of people
• andquarantining appropriately after any exposure or possible exposure to the virus.

Patients who are exposed should be tested as soon as possible to determine if they are ill or a danger to spread the virus to others. Patients with fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other distressing symptoms should be assessed by a physician and should go to the nearest Emergency Room if necessary.

Regarding the COVID-19 Vaccine, CDC and DHEC will determine how the vaccine is distributed through the state, and CPA has not been given any specific information regarding their plans. We recommend that our patients follow reputable news sources to determine when and how to get vaccinated and that they do as so as soon as possible.

Our physicians, who are considered front line healthcare workers, have already been vaccinated.

Reminder: Vaccination against COVID-19 will not completely mitigate the risk of illness for individuals or the general population, and we urge our patients to continue wearing masks, practicing careful hand hygiene, and avoiding large gatherings until public health officials change their recommendations.