I got sick with Covid this week but not too sick by Your absolute Grace! Thank you for preparing the vaccine before I got sick, so I don’t get severe illness.

Thank you that I didn’t pass the virus to my family and friends by Your absolute Grace!

Dr. Tewodros Teketel (“Dr. Teddy”) 

Medical Director and Founder, Zion Urgent Care Clinic

After having practiced medicine and trained in Texas, California, Europe, and Africa, Dr. Teketel founded and leads Zion Urgent Care Clinic in Katy, Texas, with joy. Although certified with the American Board of Internal Medicine with over a decade of practicing medicine in the US, Dr. Teddy also brings six years of overseas medical experience during his time with Doctors Without Borders.

Lord, I pray today for all suffering from Covid directly, and indirectly. I pray for Your Comforting Spirit to cover those who have lost their loved ones from it. I pray for all who are sick from Covid-19 to be healed not only physically but also spiritually, and get the great revelation of Your Grace and Mercy on them.

I pray for all those conflicted and stressed about vaccines to get a clarity of mind. I pray for all those who have no access to vaccines to be able to get it.

I thank you that You will help us through this difficult protracted pandemic, and help us to see beyond our knowledges and opinions, and beyond fear and skepticism.

Help us walk in faith and rely on Your absolute Graceful presence around us!

Help us, Lord! Heal your people, Lord! Whenever we are in a situation of absolutely having no control of our lives, only then, we will truly understand The Grace of God. 

Dr. Teddy

Note: Dr. Teddy shared this prayer while being under self-quarantine after a positive COVID-19 test and symptoms. He has since fully recovered.

Last updated: August 10, 2021

We have seen so many kinds of masks. Whether we know which ones to use and how to use them really matters a lot.

Surgical or Cloth Masks

The most common ones used are the surgical masks and cloth masks. What are you doing when you’re using this type of mask? As these generally don’t really fit well on our faces, they leave us breathing in air around the mask. What we are basically doing when we wear surgical and cloth masks is protecting the other person in front of us, not ourselves. So whenever you’re wearing a surgical or a cloth mask, what you’re saying is, “I’ll protect you. Please protect me.” It is estimated that at least 75%of droplets don’t go through surgical masks and about 50%don’t go through cloth masks.

N95 Masks

N95 respirator masks are the best ones. They are made to protect ourselves and others. They are designed to fit really well and to not allow any air gaps around their edges. Every air particle we breathe is supposed to pass through the mask. These masks can block about 95%of all airborne particles, including the smallest little particles measured at 0.3 microns which is about the size of most viruses. So when you’re wearing an N95 mask, your statement is, “I’m protecting you and protecting myself.”

Masks with Valves

How about the weird “Star Wars-looking” kind of masks or masks with exhalation values? I don’t think they are really made for the purpose of guarding against viruses. These were made for industrial settings where we are protecting ourselves from dust and other particles in the air. These do not really protect the person next to us as we’re exhaling clearly through the valve. This means that we’re giving whatever we have to the person next to us. So when you’re wearing a mask with values, you are saying, “I’m protecting myself. You protect yourself.”

Masks as a Political Statement?

These days, almost everything related to COVID-19 has been politicized. I believe masks have become the one most politicized topics. At the same time, if we wanted to make any statement through our wearing a mask, the best statement to make would be, “I care about you.” Most people really won’t get too sick from COVID-19. Some say 85%of people with COVID-19 are not having any serious sickness, but we’re trying to protect that one person who is immune compromised or elderly. So basically everything we’re doing is saying, “I care about you.”

Mask Usage and Risk Levels

Here is one last picture from the Houston health department to consider. It basically shows that when everybody’s wearing a mask, the protection provided is most effective. The highest COVID risk appears when no one is wearing a mask.

Ps. KN95 vs N95 Masks?

The N95 designation for a mask basically means that 95%of microbes 0.3 micron and larger are filtered out. The difference between an N95 and a KN95 is where it has been certified. K is the certification level that has been assigned by the manufacturer in China. So KN means they came from China and N alone means they came from somewhere else. For more on the differences between the two masks, here is a post that might be helpful.

Updated: August 25, 2020

• Well here we are 4 months since it started, 3 million infected worldwide and 1 million recovered, 220,000 dead. USA with over 1 million infected and 60,000 dead. We seem to have passed the peak for both daily new infection and daily deaths.
• In terms of the disease presentation itself, we have been seeing new symptoms such as loss of sense of smell and taste and repeated shaking with chills. Also new concerning symptoms being seen are Covid causing heart attacks and strokes in young (less than 50) and healthy individuals. Also seen are deep blue toes (terms as Covid toes) as a form of blood clotting disorder newly seen in Covid-19 patients.
• Tests are more available currently including for asymptomatic people who ask for testing. New antibody test also started although not proven to be of clinical significance.
• With all the abundance of information and disinformation, I would again advice people to follow authorities like CDC for their primary source

The CDC has prepared a self-assessment tool which is accurate and evidence based. The CDC tool yields a recommendation for the patient – seek further care, stay at home, etc. – based on the current CDC guidelines. Go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html and click on “Coronavirus self-checker.” 

What Are The Tests Available And Their Benefits?

The initial test which is mainly the one that has been used to diagnose Covid disease is called PCR test, which means it detects a part of the Virus body. It is a sensitive test and it is what should be used to diagnose an active infection for purposes of isolation and contract tracing.

The antibody test detects our immune response which is assumed to last at least for a few months. It is still debatable how much the immunity is protective as there are reports of second infection in some areas.  I believe that with this method, you can add value to workplaces dealing with ‘return to work’ questions, and possible immunity for workers especially for health workers who had been infected , while also providing surveillance data to policy makers.

What Advice Would You Give Someone Who Has Had And Recovered From COVID Who Now Has A Second Close Personal Exposure Or Who Has Travelled? Should They Be Isolated For 14 Days Again? What If They Are A Healthcare Worker Or Flight Attendant? Does The Antibody Test Help At All In This Scenario?

According to basic immunology, and testing of infected patients, once a patient has recovered, they produce IgM followed by IgG as part of the recovery. I am comfortable assuming that such a person has developed at least short-term immunity, or they would not have recovered from the acute infection. I would not advise another period of quarantine, until the CDC or published literature explicitly recommends otherwise.

Having said that, I would still advise a previously infected and recovered person to follow all of the other recommend measures to avoid unnecessary exposure to an active case until we know for sure the immunity is long-lasting

Businesses Are Beginning To Reopen And Kickstart Our Ailing Economy Here In Texas Already. According To Your Opinion, When Can An Employee’s Return To Work Safely? What Would Be The Risk If/When All Businesses Open?

Let me answer the last question first. The risk of going back to business as usual would be, as the virus is still circulating in the community and not a lot of people have been infected, due to our hard work to leave our jobs and isolate, there is likely to be increased transmissions especially in businesses who deal with direct public contact every day.

Therefore I would advise at least employees likely to come in contact with vulnerable customers ( elderly, other chronic health issues like Diabetes, Hypertension, chronic lung issues, immune system disorders) to get tested regularly and make sure they don’t pass the disease. I would leave the choice of test to their clinician.

Additionally, all employees with respiratory symptoms and or fever see their physicians before going back to work and do the tests as needed.

How Is Zion Urgent Care Doing In Terms Of Covid-19?

Since the very beginning we have responded proactively by making the PCR test available, even when we didn’t have the necessary Protective Equipment. We are currently providing both the antibody and the PCR test and have tested 60 patients. 

Last Updated: May 1, 2020

COVID-19 TESTS AVAILABLE AT ZION:
RAPID ANTIBODY ($50), RAPID ANTIGEN ($50), SAME DAY PCR COVID TESTING ($75), & 4 VIRUS PCR TESTING ($100)

IN-PERSON OFFICE VISIT ($125) REQUIRED FOR ALL POTENTIAL COVID PATIENTS.

You are highly likely to have coronavirus if:

IF YOU HAVE FEVER WITH COUGH OR SHORTNESS OF BREATH +

YOU HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH A PERSON SUSPECTED OF HAVING CORONAVIRUS INFECTION.

Other common symptoms of the Coronavirus infection include:

• General body aches,
• Chest pains,
• Extreme fatigue,
• Sudden loss of sense of smell or taste,
• Sore throat,
• Diarrhea.

If You Would Like to Know How Effective An Immune Response Your Body Has Developed After Receiving a COVID-19 Vaccination, Please Click Here for Further Information.

If You Have Received a COVID-19 Vaccination, But Are Still Experiencing Coronavirus infection symptoms:

• First, stay calm. All the CDC approved COVID-19 vaccinations have been shown to prevent most people from getting sick but this is still a very new situation. Scientists are still learning how long the effects of the vaccine last, how well they prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 to others, etc.
• Second, stay at home (self-quarantine) unless you are having shortness of breath. If you are having shortness of breath you should get medical help.
• Third, determine whether you need to be seen by a doctor by calling your doctor for telemedicine (Note: If your doctor doesn’t provide telemedicine, you are welcome to call Zion Urgent Care’s direct line for telemedical care – 832-447-6454 – Monday – Friday 9AM-9PM and Saturdays 9AM-3PM).
• Fourth, when your symptoms have subsided, consider getting a quantitative reading of your body’s antibody response to your COVID-19 vaccination to gain a clearer sense of how your body is doing. Click this link for more details on this option Zion Urgent Care Clinic has secured with a specialized laboratory, Allermetrix.

What Should You Do If You’re Highly Likely To Have Coronavirus infection:

• First, don’t panic. Not even everyone who contracts the virus needs special medical care so keeping a clear head is important.
• Second, as noted above, it is best to stay at home (self-quarantine) unless you are having shortness of breath. In that case, you should get medical help.
• Third, determine whether you need to be seen by a doctor (Note: If your doctor doesn’t provide telemedicine, you are welcome to call Zion Urgent Care’s direct line for telemedical care – 832-447-6454 – Monday – Friday 9AM-9PM and Saturdays 9AM-3PM).

If You Potentially Have the Coronavirus, Whether You Are Told to Go to ER or to Stay at Home and Self-quarantine, Don’t Forget To:

• Use a mask (note: it doesn’t have to be N-95, any surgical mask will help) when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) or pets and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes and immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or, if soap and water are not available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid sharing personal household items, dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home and Wash the items thoroughly after use.
• Clean and disinfect: “high touch surfaces” which include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables

Here to serve you, your family, and team today ,

Dr Teddy Teketel, M.D.
Zion Urgent Care Clinic.