Our COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Response

Updated December 2021

HOACNY is committed to the safety and well-being of our patients and the community.  All our employees are vaccinated against COVID-19, and we strongly encourage all patients and visitors to get vaccinated, as well. We also recommend receiving vaccination boosters as soon as you are eligible – 6 months following a Moderna/Pfizer vaccine and 2 months after a Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

As a means to continue our services during this difficult and unusual time, we have instituted a strict policy and process to ensure patient safety in HOACNY offices. We also have issued guidelines for office visits after a COVID-19 positive test and/or exposure.

Click here to view our COVID-19 exposure guidelines. 

We greatly appreciate your understanding of and respectful adherence to these guidelines:

• A well-fitted face mask covering your nose and mouth is required for every person in HOA buildings. Paper masks, like KN95 masks, are highly recommended.
• Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our patients and staff, NO UNVACCINATED VISITORS are allowed in any HOA office. No exceptions.
• Unvaccinated visitors can share their cell phone number for the patient’s provider to call them; HOA staff will support any patient requiring physical assistance.

 At this time of year, we normally recommend all our patients and their caregivers receive a flu shot. Getting a flu shot is more important now than ever.  

We continue to offer telemedicine visits at your request. While these visits are covered by insurance and may replace a standard office visit, they do have some limitations. It is for these reasons that our offices remain open - to care for patients needing more than telemedicine can provide. Our priority remains caring for and treating our patients with the highest quality and safe practices.

To schedule an appointment or to learn more, please call us at 315-472-7504.  We are glad to answer any questions you may have regarding this new service.

What is the difference between Flu and COVID-19? 

From the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a new coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2) and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses. Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis. Flu and COVID-19 share many characteristics, but there are some key differences between the two.

While more is learned every day, there is still a lot that is unknown about COVID-19 and the virus that causes it. This page compares COVID-19 and flu, given the best available information to date.