COVID-19 Information

Please use this page for information on COVID-19, Cheshire Medical Center's response to the pandemic, and tips to keep yourself and others safe.

GET THE FACTS AND COMBAT MISCONCEPTIONS: Misconceptions and false rumors about COVID-19 and vaccinations are common. Stay alert, ask good questions, and check the facts. View Factcheck.org's COVID-19 and Vaccination page.

Cheshire Medical Center / Dartmouth-Hitchcock COVID-19 news

Listen: WKBK interview with President and CEO, Don Caruso, about the current surge and proposed mask mandate - 11/24

Number of COVID patients soars, Cheshire Medical CEO pleading for mask mandate - 11/24

The basics on COVID booster shots for the general adult population - 11/22

New England Covid cases rise as delta hits the unvaccinated - NBC 11/16

Delta is Different: Three Things You Need to Know About the Delta Variant

Q&A: Clearing up the mask confusion 9/17

Erika Farhm

Delta is Different: What You Need to Know About This COVID-19 Variant

During this delta-driven surge, those who care for the health of our community need your help to ensure quality medical care continues to be available to all who need it.

View story

COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

What if I need medical care and I may have COVID-19?

If you have been exposed to COVID-19 in the last 10 days or have symptoms that may be COVID-19, please call ahead if you plan to seek any kind of medical care. This includes coming in for scheduled appointments.

To schedule COVID-19 testing, use the myD-H patient portal via mydh.org or MyChart app. Please read our COVID Testing FAQ first. This test does NOT include a medical evaluation.

For medical evaluation and care for possible COVID-19 symptoms, call your Primary Care team at Cheshire. Call 2-1-1 if you do not have a primary care provider or use the CDC's COVID-19 self-checker.

If you already have a scheduled appointment, call your provider's office. Your provider may schedule a telemedicine virtual visit with you instead or agree to postpone your appointment.

For Urgent Primary Care Visits, including urgent virtual visits call 603-354-5484.

Read more from the CDC about what to do when you are sick.

Who should be tested for COVID-19?

Read the CDC's COVID-19 testing page to find out if you should be tested.

How can I be tested for COVID-19?

To schedule COVID-19 testing, log into the myD-H patient portal via mydh.org or MyChart app. Choose Menu > Make an appointment > scroll down to Covid-19 Testing > Keene, then answer questions and choose an appointment. 

This test does NOT include a medical evaluation. Read our COVID Testing FAQ before scheduling your first test.

How does COVID-19 spread?

COVID-19 spreads most easily through close contact from person to person, such as between people who are physically near each other, or through the air in enclosed spaces.

It spreads through respiratory droplets that come out of a person's mouth or nose, so you can easily catch COVID-19:

  • If you are breathing in air within six feet of a person who is infected, or are in an enclosed room with an infected person for approximately ten minutes or more.
  • If an infected person coughs or sneezes and you get splashes or sprays into your eyes, nose, or mouth.
  • If you get droplets on your hands that are then transferred to your eyes, nose, or mouth.

You can spread it without having symptoms

People who are infected but do not show symptoms can also spread the virus to others—with the Delta COVID variant, this includes vaccinated people spreading the virus. 

  • Some people with COVID-19 can spread the virus without knowing they have it because they do not experience any symptoms (asymptomatic state).
  • Others can spread the virus without knowing they have it because they have not developed symptoms yet (pre-symptomatic state). 

Evidence shows people may be most likely to spread the virus to others during the 48 hours before they start to experience symptoms. This is why wearing a mask is important in enclosed spaces and around unvaccinated people. Learn more on the CDC's COVID-19 Spread page.

How can I help prevent infection?

Please visit our COVID-19 Prevention and Caring for patients at home pages.

Why is vaccination important?

Fully vaccinated individuals are much less likely to

  • get sick from COVID-19 with symptoms 
  • become severely ill and need hospitalization due to COVID-19 and related complications
  • develop "Long COVID" or Post Acute COVID Syndrome (PACS)
  • die from COVID-19 or related complications

Fully vaccinated people who become ill enough to be hospitalized are usually in very poor health or taking medicines that suppress their immune systems. 

The new Delta strain of COVID can be spread by vaccinated people as well as the unvaccinated. However, vaccinated individuals are much less likely to become as severely ill or sick for as long as unvaccinated individuals.

Vaccinating as many people as possible in our community still reduces the spread of the virus significantly, therefore helping to protect those who do not have strong immune systems.

Learn more on our COVID-19 Vaccination page.

Schedule vaccination appointment
 

What is the difference between quarantine and self-isolation?

  • Quarantine when you might have been exposed to the virus.
  • Isolate when you have been infected with the virus, even if you don’t have symptoms.

See general CDC information about when, how, and what to do for quarantine or isolation. And information specific to the State of New Hampshire at covid19.nh.gov.

What should I do if I have COVID-19 or have been exposed to it?

If you were exposed to COVID-19, read recommendations for the type of exposure and your vaccination status at covid19.nh.gov.

Is information about COVID-19 available for non-English speaking or Limited English Proficient (LEP) community members?

Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Information in Other Languages page provides resources for non-English speaking or Limited English Proficient (LEP) community members and American Sign Language (ASL) users.

Why aren't Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine approved by the FDA to treat COVID-19? 

There is no evidence to suggest benefits from Ivermectin or Hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19. Each medication has been studied recently in the context of treating COVID-19 and the resulting data did not show any benefit.
The concern is actually the opposite—the FDA has issued warnings against using either of these agents because of potentially dangerous side effects. When taken inappropriately, a patient could suffer potential cardiac, neurological, and other side effects from drug interactions that may prove to be fatal.
Prescribers need to adhere to guidelines issued by WHO, NIH, andor IDSA–credible sources for information related to managing patients with COVID-19. Anecdotal benefits should not drive a trend and using these drugs to treat COVID-19 in the absence of supporting data could cause much more harm than good.

Additional questions and references

Call 2-1-1 in New Hampshire with COVID-19 questions. COVID-19-specific call-takers available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

 

 

State Department of Health

Please reference the State Department of Health for the state in which you reside for the latest local/state-related information.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers leading information about the U.S. response and guidance centered on COVID-19. Topics include:

Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Patient Education

Maps

Situation maps are available from many resources. We recommend the World Health Organization situation or Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center status map:

National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) offers guidance on your risk of coronavirus infection and precautions if you are being treated for cancer. 

Information for pregnant patients

For women who are pregnant or nursing, COVID-19 brings lots of questions unique to this experience. Dartmouth-Hitchcock's FAQ will help address these questions and concerns.