AllergyNVA.com – Allergy Associates of N. Virginia, PLLC

TREE POLLEN season has officially started. Tree pollen levels have hit HIGH levels. Maple is the predominant pollen along with Oak, Birch, Elm, and Cypress/Cedar/Juniper family per the Aerobiological Report. Start your Allergy Action Plan.

****SAFETY FIRST: ALL OUR STAFF IS FULLY COVID 19 VACCINATED. We have requested vaccines so that we may administer them to our patients as well. We are awaiting word from the Virginia Health Department as to when we may receive vaccines. In the meanwhile please continue precautions. We are trying our best to accommodate patients and provide AIT injections, allergy skin testing and spirometry in the office. Unfortunately due to the COVID 19 pandemic, we have limited supply of PPE. In order to maintain safety for our patients and staff we are limited in the number of patients who can be seen at a given time. Space is a limiting factor as we need to abide by the 6 feet apart recommendation and can only allow 6 patients in the waiting room at any given time (we will allow patients to wait in the hall but will need to be 6 feet apart). This is the case in many medical practices. We will adjust your AIT dosing based on your last injection date. We appreciate your understanding and support. Stay safe!

Check list:

*WEAR A MASK—–KEEP ON AT ALL TIMES! DO NOT WEAR MASKS WITH VALVES, these valved masks help to protect you but not those around you from being exposed to you. Please wear non-valved masks.

*NO FEVER, COUGH, RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS—–NO EXPOSURE OR TRAVEL, if you are a healthcare/hospital employee treating or testing COVID 19 patients thank you for taking the risk to care for those most in need. We know you are wearing proper PPE and removing them before leaving the hospital floor and washing your hands and wearing a mask when you come to our office. Please email us or call us by Thursday before Friday shot hours, so we can arrange for you to come after shot hours or at the end of the day

NO LENGTHY CONVERSATIONS IN THE OFFICE TO MINIMIZE DROPLET SPREAD

1 PERSON AT A TIME MAY ENTER (KEEP 6 FT APART):

* USE HAND SANITIZER WHEN YOU ENTER BEFORE SITTING DOWN

*CHECK-IN WITH FRONT DESK-

*GIVE NAME TO THE FRONT DESK (minimize conversation) —-YOU MUST HAVE AN APPOINTMENT—-**NO WALK-INS**

*HAVE TEMPERATURE CHECKED-BOTH PATIENT AND CAREGIVER IF ONE IS PRESENT (<99F)

*YOU WILL BE CALLED TO RECEIVE YOUR SHOT, SIT FACING AWAY FROM THE PLASTIC BARRIER-DO NOT PUSH AGAINST THE PLASTIC BARRIER. AFTER YOUR INJECTIONS PLEASE HAVE A SEAT BACK AT YOUR SEAT. WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR ARMS CHECKED, LET THE FRONT DESK KNOW IF YOU NEED AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK or MONTH.

DO NOT CROWD THE CHECK-IN AREA: KEEP 6 FEET APART

Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT) is an essential treatment for patients with allergies and allergic asthma which can affect one’s well being and health. We are re-open for AIT and biologic (Xolair or Nucala) injection treatment for our established patients, AIT shot, and AIT allergy skin testing by appointments. We are also open now for one new patient appointment and one follow-up appointment that require in-person testing. All shots and allergy skin testing for AIT patients will be by appointment ONLY-****NO-WALK-INS****Please do not be late as you will not receive your shot and a no show fee will be charged.

Please call us at (703) 558-6040 or email us at arlingtonallergy@gmail.com to schedule an appointment.

To maintain COVID 19 precautions and for the safety of our patients and staff, please follow these rules:

1. Do NOT enter the office if you have had COVID 19 exposure in the past 14 days (even if asymptomatic-no symptoms), this means if you have traveled outside the US or to states outside the DMV,

2. Patient and their caregiver who accompanies the patient if a child must NOT have a FEVER or COUGH (even if due to allergy or asthma).Will be asked to leave.

3. Patient and their caregiver must wear a MASK (even homemade masks or bandana masks) in order to enter our office. We do not have masks to offer to our patients.

4. Everyone will have their temperature checked if 99 F or above will be turned away.

5. No conversations, to minimize the spread of droplets, just answer yes or no. All questions and payments can be taken care of remotely by contacting our staff via phone or email.

6. Only 6 patients in the waiting room at any given time, please sit 6 feet apart.

7. AIT patients needing allergy skin testing and refill will have testing placed on their arms, then photos will be taken at 15 minutes with a ruler and will be measured at a later time from the photos to minimize face-to-face contact. Once allergy vaccine refill prescriptions are prepared and ready, we will give you a call to make your appt to come in. Please be sure to complete your registration form prior to the skin test appointment. via our remote staff. If you need medication refills please contact our staff via phone or email.

8. Please check that you have a valid (not expired) Epipen or Auvi Q in order to receive your shots, please show it at the time of your check-in. If your device is expired please call us or email us so we can put in for a refill.

9. If you have been sick even with a cold or your asthma is flaring and you are having symptoms of shortness of breath, cough or wheezing and have needed your Albuterol in the past 2 weeks, please DO NOT come in. Out of an abundance of caution, we will not be performing peak flow measurements before your shots, due to the possible risk of spreading the virus. Patients with asthma need to perform a peak flow reading at home and report their number to the shot nurse prior to their shot. If it is more than 30% below their number then shot will be withheld. We can prescribe a peak flow meter to your pharmacy-just let the shot nurse know you need one.

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Let’s all practice Covid 19 precautions: AVOID touching your face. It’s tough as it’s allergy season and your eyes are itchy and your nose is runny and congested. Review your allergy regimen with your allergist to see if we can optimize your allergy treatment plan.

People are confusing cough and sneezing due to allergies for COVID 19 symptoms-most patients with COVID 19 had a fever and respiratory distress (shortness of breath, difficulty breathing)

COVID 19 attacks your airways, if you have asthma, let’s make sure your asthma is well controlled – consult with us through a virtual appt today!

Schools are hybrid and adults are working from home-great time to have a virtual appt and check in with your allergy specialist. email us at Arlingtonallergy@gmail.com or call us (703) 558-6040 today.

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Our phone line will be open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am-4pm. . We will be temporarily closed on Wednesdays and Fridays. Please email us at arlingtonallergy@gmail.com with non-urgent questions, appointment requests, and confirmations. DUE TO PEAK POLLEN SEASON-WE ARE VERY BUSY CARING FOR PATIENTS AND MAY TAKE 2-3 DAYS TO RESPOND TO EMAIL. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY URGENT MESSAGES VIA EMAIL. All lab results will be reviewed via virtual visits, please email to schedule an appt.

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Due to COVID-19 and practicing an abundance of caution for your SAFETY PATIENT appointments will be offered as a virtual appt to both New and established patients, those whom we deem need to come in will be scheduled to come in after the virtual visit/assessment. We are NOW OPEN for one new patient appointment and one follow-up appointment per day that also require in-person testing.

If you have any questions please call us at 703-558-6040 or email us at arlingtonallergy@gmail.com. Follow up on FACEBOOK for the latest updates.

Stay healthy and please stay at home and social distance (6 ft apart if you have to go out)) to prevent the spread of COVID 19.

Tips to stay healthy: wash your hands with soap, use hand sanitizer, avoid touching your face (eyes, nose, mouth), get plenty of sleep, take probiotics/eat foods with probiotics, reduce inflammatory foods like refined sugars and take a low dose of Vitamin D daily 800mg-1000mg (or during spend 15 minutes out in the sun daily). Check with your primary care physician before starting Vitamin D.

Washington Post article on How to differentiate between allergies and coronavirus-flu-cold virus with comments by Dr. Sally Joo Bailey.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/allergies-coronavirus-flu-cold-difference/2020/03/10/a9f3cba8-62f4-11ea-acca-80c22bbee96f_story.html

For those patients with asthma especially if you are receiving AIT injections, please email our office for us to prescribe you a peak flow meter for home. Please do the peak flow meter around the same time each day to measure how well your asthma and breathing is controlled. On the day of your AIT injection, please write down your peak flow and give it to the staff or let them know the number.

For asthma patients with virtual visits, please scan or take a photo of your peak flow meter log/diary and email it to us to review along with an ACT to evaluate your asthma.

We now offer rapid COVID Antigen testing with results within 10 minutes prior to spirometry so we can make sure it is safe to perform, otherwise, it is currently deemed unsafe to perform indoors.

If you are asymptomatic (no signs of cough, fever, runny nose or shortness of breath) but are uncertain or question if you were exposed to Covid, we are able to provide a Covid PCR send out to Quest test-schedule an appt for a quick visit and swab. Appts are at the end of the day. However if you are symptomatic or know you were exposed then contact your primary care or Urgent care right away for testing.

Stay healthy! 😷❤️

🥫 Thanks to everyone who donated food for the Arlington Food Assistance Center. We will collect again this Friday, 8am-12pm. AS A THANK YOU, WE WILL GIVE OUT FREE 2OZ HAND SANITIZERS. ❤️😷🥫

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IF YOU THINK YOU NEED TESTING for COVID 19, CONTACT YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN OR – CALL VA HEALTH DEPARTMENT 1-877-ASK-VDH3

Telemedicine: Virtual visits for New and established patients: patients can have virtual visits with us. Call or email us to set up a virtual appt. If you have NOT been seen in the office this year (2021), please call us or email us at arlingtonallergy@gmail.com so we can email forms for you to complete at home, you can email the forms completed with a copy of your insurance card (front and back as well as a copy of your driver’s license before we can set up a virtual appt. Most insurances (Carefirst, Aetna and Cigna-most plans) are now covering for virtual appointments for both new and established patient virtual visits but there may be some insurance plans may not cover and (some self-covered plans may opt out) for a virtual appt, so check with your insurance provider. If they do not cover a virtual appt then it is $75 for 15 minutes or less charge to your credit card for follow up appointments for established patients and $200 for New patient consultation of 30 minutes or less.

Virtual visits can be done with a laptop computer with a camera and a microphone or your cell phone. We will send you a link via your email and you can click on the link to enter a virtual waiting room where you will then connect virtually with Melissa or Dr. Bailey.

If you have asthma, please make sure your asthma is well controlled. In place of spirometry and FENO testing, we will conduct an ACT questionnaire to assess your asthma control. Spirometry testing may be performed with a prior Rapid Covid Ag test in the office or with proof of a negative Covid PCR test from 24 hrs or less. If you are fully vaccinated for COVID 19 and are symptoms free then just show your COVID 19 vaccination card and we will not have to perform a rapid Covid Ag test.

For those with food allergies, environmental allergies, eczema, swelling or hives, we can perform allergy skin test by appointment and for those with food allergies, we will provide a lab order to further evaluate and can review both the allergy skin test and lab results via a follow up virtual visit.

Clinical questions can be addressed via a virtual visit. Those recommended to do at home food introduction can also schedule a virtual visit to review those instructions and protocol.

If you had lab work recently and have not heard back from us, please call or email us so we can track down those results and review them with you via Telemedicine virtual visit as a quick follow-up visit so we can provide you with some guidance and recommendations based on your results.

Stay healthy!

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ALLERGY ALERTS: warmer weather is causing some tree pollens are at HIGH TREE levels! Please follow your Allergy Action Plan.

CHANGES IN SHOT HOURS: see above FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR UPDATES AND CHANGES!

Please follow us on Facebook for up to date changes and information.

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Welcome to Allergy Associates of Northern Virginia, PLLC, the office of Dr. Sally Joo Bailey. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates regarding the practice, hours and allergy updates.

Sally Joo Bailey, M.D. is a Diplomat of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology Specializing in Adult and Pediatric Allergy & Asthma

Dr. Sally Joo Bailey is the current President of the Greater Washington Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Society (over 70 allergist members from Virginia, Maryland and DC) as well as the Founder of Capital Allergy Associates (over 100 allergist members nationally)-goal is to help independent allergist practice maintain the ability to provide the best allergy & asthma care.

We are conveniently located at the Virginia Hospital Center Complex in Arlington, Virginia. where we offer comprehensive adult and pediatric allergy evaluation, education and treatment of allergies, asthma, cough, congestion, postnasal drip, food allergy, eczema, hives, eye allergy, and chronic sinusitis. Our goals are to provide you with the highest quality of effective treatment of your symptoms. In reaching our goals, your symptoms of allergy, asthma and other allergic conditions should be minimized, leading to improved quality of life.

Let’s get started, call (703) 558-6040 today.Featured Article: The Perfect Allergic Storm: Dr. Sally Joo Bailey’s current research http://gumc.georgetown.edu/news/the-perfect-storm

WTOP 103.5 FM : Stress can make spring allergies worse: http://www.wtop.com/41/3594482/Stress-can-make-spring-allergies-worse

Washington Post: Goodbye polar vortex, hello pollen vortex: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/tidal-wave-of-pent-up-pollen-could-be-headed-our-way/2014/04/02/39e22592-b9e7-11e3-a397-6debf9e66e65_story.html

Closing and Changes: Updates on office hours, news, tips and more can be found on the AllergyNVA News page. Recent items are also listed in the right-hand column.

Regular Shot Hours: Shot hours are Monday from 1pm – 4pm, Tuesday from 9am – 11:30am & 1pm – 4:30pm, Thursday from 9am – 11:30am & 1pm – 4:30pm, and Friday from 7:30am – 9am . Click here for further details about shots.

Cluster Shot Hours: by appointment only at 9:00am and 1:00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Patients can receive 2-3 shot doses in one day. Must wait 1 hour bt each injection. There will be closer monitoring and more frequent vitals taken. Patients should take their antihistamines the day before, day of and day after.

Xolair, Nucala & Fasenra Administration: by appointment only, 9:00am -3:00pm during office hours. Please call the office 40 minute prior to arrival (703) 558-6040 and speak with a staff member (do not leave a voicemail) so that we may prepare your medication. Once mixed, the medication is only viable for a couple of hours.

Sick Policy: Please Note: patients who are ill, for example, has an upper respiratory illness (cold, RSV, croup, cough, or fever), please reschedule your appt. We have patients who are immune suppressed due to immune deficiencies and are more prone to serious complications even from the common cold. Please see your primary care physician or urgent care for acute illness.