Menu 802-257-0341 Key COVID-19 Info More Key COVID-19 Info BMH Responds to COVID-19 COVID Support COVID-19 Q&A Patient Resources BMH Vaccination and Testing Center You must register for a testing and vaccine appointment through the VT Department of Health. This can be done online or by phone. Online: selfRegistration (force.com) Phone: 855-722-7878, option #2 BMH Vaccine Clinics: Clinics offered for 1st and 2nd doses, 3rd doses for immunocompromised, booster shots, and now (beginning 11/6) for ages 5-11. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays 9:00am-12:30pm 12 and older Moderna, Pfizer, J&J available – 1st dose, 2nd dose, 3rd dose (immunocompromised only), and booster shots Unit at 53 Fairview Street Brattleboro Fridays 9:00am-6:00pm 18 and older Moderna only BMH Richards Building Saturdays 9:00am-1:00pm 18 and older Moderna only BMH Richards Building Saturdays 1:30pm-6:00pm Ages 5-11 Pediatric Pfizer only BMH Richards Building BMH Testing Clinics: You must have an appointment. Walk-ins are not permitted. Click here to register for a testing appointment or call 855-722-7878, #3. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday 2:0m-6:00pm 417 Canal Street, Brattleboro (lot behind House of Pizza) 2:00pm-6:00pm Register for testing and vaccines appointments at www.healthvermont.gov or call 855-722-7878. Updated Visitor Policy – August 2021 In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 we have updated our visitor policy effective August 23, 2021. Effective Monday, August 23, 2021, one visitor is permitted per patient regardless of vaccination status. This policy applies to all areas of BMH, including Inpatient/Acute Care (Birthing Center, Progressive Care Unit (PCU), MS2, Surgical Services, etc.), the Emergency Department, and all Outpatient Medical Practices and Departments. All patients and visitors will be required to be screened upon entry, and will not be permitted to enter the facility if they present with symptoms, or fail to cooperate with the process. Masks are mandatory for all patients and visitors. Visitors include persons age 2 and older. Visitors younger than 2 are not permitted. The following entrances are open as indicated: Emergency Room Entrance: Open 24/7 Hospital Main Entrance: Monday – Friday 6:30am – 6:00pm Richards Building Entrance: Monday – Friday 6:30am – 6:00pm, Saturday 8:00am – 12:00pm The Gannett Building (21 Belmont Avenue): 8:00am – 5:00pm The Medical Office Building remains closed. Please enter through the Richards Building. BMH is providing the following information in conjunction with the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Vermont Department of Health to help keep our patients and neighbors informed about the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). For daily updates on COVID-19 in Vermont, visit: Vermont Department of Health Coronavirus Updates Not feeling well? Take the CDC’s Virtual Symptom Checker. COVID-19 & BMH If I have an appointment in the hospital or one of the medical practices, is it safe to enter the facility? BMH has well-established infection-prevention and sanitation measures in place to prevent transmission of all communicable diseases, including flu and other respiratory illnesses. There are respiratory etiquette stations for persons visiting with a cough: hold masks for adults and children, tissues, and touch-free hand sanitizer. Our staff is trained to screen patients for cough, fever, trouble breathing, and recent travel when they arrive. If you are experiencing the symptoms mentioned above, please call ahead to your clinician’s office prior to arriving. Our hospital and medical practices have taken additional measures to ensure safety for all patients, visitors and staff during the COVID-19 outbreak. If you have specific questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call the department or practice. What is BMH doing about COVID-19? As soon as the CDC sent an alert about the outbreak, BMH took active steps to form a task force dedicated to monitoring the progress of the disease and creating necessary preparations should a patient present to BMH with symptoms of COVID-19. The task force relies on information from the CDC, World Health Organization, and the Vermont Department of Health to maintain the most current information and recommendations. They also provide guidelines for screening of patients and procedures for BMH employees to follow should a patient require isolation, and to ensure patient and healthcare worker safety. With standard protocols in place at all times and working closely with our local and national government health agencies to update protocols as necessary, BMH is well-prepared to care for patients with symptoms of COVID-19. Basics About the Disease What is the Coronavirus? A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified. The virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold. A diagnosis with coronavirus 229E, NL63, OC43, or HKU1 is not the same as a COVID-19 diagnosis. Patients with COVID-19 will be evaluated and cared for differently than patients with common coronavirus diagnosis. Why is the disease being called coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19? On February 11, 2020 the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is causing the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, first identified in Wuhan China. The new name of this disease is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV.” There are many types of human coronaviruses including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused by a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans. The name of this disease was selected following the World Health Organization (WHO) best practice external icon for naming of new human infectious diseases. How It Spreads What is the source of the virus? Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some cause illness in people, and others, such as canine and feline coronaviruses, only infect animals. Rarely, animal coronaviruses that infect animals have emerged to infect people and can spread between people. This is suspected to have occurred for the virus that causes COVID-19. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are two other examples of coronaviruses that originated from animals and then spread to people. More information about the source and spread of COVID-19 is available on the Situation Summary: Source and Spread of the Virus. Can someone who has had COVID-19 spread the illness to others? The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person. Someone who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness to others. That is why CDC recommends that these patients be isolated either in the hospital or at home (depending on how sick they are) until they are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others. How long someone is actively sick can vary so the decision on when to release someone from isolation is made on a case-by-case basis in consultation with doctors, infection prevention and control experts, and public health officials and involves considering specifics of each situation including disease severity, illness signs and symptoms, and results of laboratory testing for that patient. Current CDC guidance for when it is OK to release someone from isolation is made on a case-by-case basis and includes meeting all of the following requirements: The patient is free from fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. The patient is no longer showing symptoms, including cough. The patient has tested negative on at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected at least 24 hours apart. Someone who has been released from isolation is not considered to pose a risk of infection to others. Can someone who has been quarantined for COVID-19 spread the illness to others? Quarantine means separating a person or group of people who have been exposed to a contagious disease but have not developed illness (symptoms) from others who have not been exposed, in order to prevent the possible spread of that disease. Quarantine is usually established for the incubation period of the communicable disease, which is the span of time during which people have developed illness after exposure. For COVID-19, the period of quarantine is 14 days from the last date of exposure, because 14 days is the longest incubation period seen for similar coronaviruses. Someone who has been released from COVID-19 quarantine is not considered a risk for spreading the virus to others because they have not developed illness during the incubation period. What is community spread? Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected. How to Protect Yourself How can I protect myself and my loved ones? There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including: Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Stay home when you are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty. For information about handwashing, see CDC’s Handwashing website What should I do if I had close contact with someone who has COVID-19? There is information for people who have had close contact with a person confirmed to have, or being evaluated for, COVID-19 available online. Does CDC recommend the use of face mask to prevent COVID-19? In light of new data about how COVID-19 spreads, along with evidence of widespread COVID-19 illness in communities across the country, CDC recommends that people wear a cloth face covering to cover their nose and mouth in the community setting. This is an additional public health measure people should take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in addition to (not instead of) social distancing, frequent hand cleaning and other everyday preventive actions. A cloth face covering is not intended to protect the wearer, but may prevent the spread of virus from the wearer to others. This would be especially important in the event that someone is infected but does not have symptoms. A cloth face covering should be worn whenever people must go into public settings (grocery stores, for example). Medical masks and N-95 respirators are reserved for healthcare workers and other first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance. Symptoms & Testing What are the symptoms and complications that COVID-19 can cause? Current symptoms reported for patients with COVID-19 have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Should I be tested for COVID-19? If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your primary care clinician for medical advice. They will work with your state’s public health department and CDC to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19. To learn more about symptoms, take the CDC’s Virtual Symptom Checker. Additional Information & Resources If you have questions about COVID-19: Dial 2-1-1 If you are returning from Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, China, Iran or South Korea: Call Health Department Epidemiology at 802-863-7240. If you are sick or concerned about your health: Contact your health care provider by phone. Do not go to the hospital, except in a life-threatening situation. Centers for Disease Control Coronavirus Website World Health Organization Coronavirus Website The information on this page was adapted from CDC.gov and HealthVermont.gov, last accessed May 6, 2020. Sign Up For BMH Email Updates Quick Links Contact BMH Privacy Policy Terms of Use Employee Links Address 17 Belmont Avenue Brattleboro VT, 05301 Phone Number 802-257-0341 Stay Connected Pinterest Google Plus Facebook YouTube Linked In RSS Feeds