California Kids Pediatrics

Dear Families, We hope this email finds you well considering the current circumstances. We want to let you know that we are still open Monday through Friday, however, we have shortened office hours and reduced our staff numbers in the office. Our staff is healthy and well, and we are increasing the frequency of our already thorough cleaning protocol. ... Our goal during this difficult time is to continue to serve our patients while doing our part to minimize the risk of infection. A point to note about Coronavirus: In a recent study, scientists found that Covid-19 was detectable in aerosols for up to 3 hours and on surfaces for up to 3 days. https://www.nih.gov//news-releases/new-coronavirus-stable- To put this into context: Social distancing indoors is not totally effective in stopping the spread of the virus. If an infected individual coughs or sneezes indoors, the virus may remain airborne for up to 3 hours. The infected person can be long gone but the virus may still be there. Be mindful of this while going about your day. Seniors (60+ years old) and those with underlying health issues are most at risk. Those individuals should minimize contact with other people while indoors. They should not, for example, go to the grocery store or to their friends/families homes during this time. Nor should they have other people in their home that could possibly contaminate their airspace. If they need anything, the young and healthy should be helping them out by running errands for them and dropping off items at their door without entering their home. Here are some recommendations that should help you during this time: -Make sure you and the whole family disconnect from your electronic devices, specifically news and social media for a few hours a day. Your nervous system will thank you! -Get outdoors for at least an hour or two a day! Nature is a great therapist and a tree has never coughed on anyone! :) -A diet rich in fruits, veggies and grains will help keep your immune system healthy. Avoid simple sugars and processed/packaged foods. Stay hydrated! -Make sure you're getting enough rest at night. -It won't hurt to take a multivitamin with zinc, and probiotics. -Video chatting is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. https://www.cnet.com//7-free-video-chat-apps-to-use-if-yo/ -And it's a fact that laughter and human kindness boost the immune system. Please see the links below for some good general guidance: https://www.healthychildren.org//making-fitness-a-way-of-l https://www.healthychildren.org//Hand-Washing-A-Powerful-A Below are some links about the disease from trusted sources. They are updated as new information is learned about Coronavirus. https://www.cdc.gov/ https://www.healthychildren.org//2019-Novel-Coronavirus.as Please let us know if you have any questions. We will get through this together. All the best, Leila Bozorgnia, MD California Kids Pediatrics

Los Angeles parents! It’s back to school and time to make sure your child is up to date on vaccines. Our community relies on 95% or greater vaccination rates to keep our schools safe from vaccine preventable disease outbreaks. There are a significant number of schools in Los Angeles County particularly charter and private schools which fall below this rate of vaccination and are therefore at risk. You can check online to see what your schools vaccination rates are. Make su...re your child is up to date and ready! Your 4 year old will need their MMR and Varicella booster prior to school entry and your 11 year old will need their TdaP and Menactra boosters. **Flu Vaccine Info** In late August/early September, the influenza vaccine will be available. Check with our office on availability. Children 6 months and older may be eligible to receive a flu vaccine. The sooner in the season your child receives the vaccine the longer the duration of protection. Influenza is most dangerous when it strikes the very young and very elderly as they may be immunocompromised and have a harder time fighting the virus. Keep in mind that by protecting your children you are also protecting their beloved grandparents who are at greater risk for complications. The word is out that for the 2018-2019 season the intranasal Flumist will be available to children age 2 and up who are eligible. That said, the AAP is still recommending the injection as a better source of protection. Their official statement will be available in September. See more

Keep the kids and yourself protected from the sun! Make sure to reapply sunscreen every hour. Check out this article for more info about sunscreen: http://n.pr/1BBhlFs

Spring break has arrived! Here are some sun safety tips for the whole family- http://bit.ly/18Wx2cp

Dr. Leila was recently quoted in this LA Times article about the current measles outbreak. Check it out: http://lat.ms/1D3hlvE