ARC physicians, Drs. Crystal S. Berry-Roberts, Farron C. Hunt, and Manish M. Naik participated in Austin Black Business Journal's Community Speaker Series, COVID-19 and Vaccine. In case you missed it, our doctors have three recommendations: Know your risk for COVID-19, get tested if you have symptoms, and talk to your Primary Care Physician about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Know your risk
Your age and underlying health conditions increase your risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms – obesity, heart disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cancer, compromised immune system, and pregnancy are some of the common conditions that increase risk.
Mitigate your risk by masking, social distancing, avoiding crowded places especially indoors, and practicing good hand hygiene.
Get Tested
COVID-19 symptoms can be mild and mimic a typical cold or allergies – if you have new symptoms or have had close contact with someone that has COVID-19, get tested. Book a COVID-19 telemedicine visit with an ARC physician to receive more testing instructions.
Get the COVID-19 Vaccine
40 million people in the U.S. have already been vaccinated and over 150 million people have received the vaccine worldwide. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have undergone rigorous testing and has shown to be safe and effective. You are not a vaccine testing ground.
Allergic reactions are rare and side effects generally resolve in 1-2 days. mRNA vaccines do not alter human DNA or cause genetic changes and they do not cause infertility.
Communities of color have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Get tested if you have symptoms or have had close contact with COVID-19. All of the currently available vaccines are more than 90-95% effective at preventing hospitalization and death. Find a COVID-19 vaccine hub and sign up for the vaccine.
For more information about COVID-19 and vaccines, visit our COVID-19 Cares page or call ARC's 24/7 COVID-19 hotline 866-453-4525.