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5 Things You Need to Know Today in Worcester – May 6

By Tom Marino | May 6, 2022
Last Updated: May 6, 2022

In today’s daily 5 Things You Need to Know feature, ThisWeekinWorcester.com explores five important items and stories that Worcester and Central Massachusetts residents should keep a close eye on.

These five things can cover a whole range of subjects and issues that we feel are pertinent to understanding what’s going on in the city and the cities and towns surrounding Worcester.

In today’s edition – Friday, May 6 – Paxton Center School holds its First Annual 5K run to support Tyler’s Teammates, Worcester Bravehearts celebrate the city’s 300th birthday with three games at home, Mothers Out Front Worcester brings back its “Be a Gas Leak Detective” walks, the next Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District meeting is Friday, May 13 and tips to manage allergy season in Worcester.

Paxton Center School’s First Annual 5K Run

The Paxton Center School holds its First Annual 5K run to support Tyler’s Teammates on Sunday, May 22.

Tyler’s Teammates was founded in memory of Tyler Trudell, a 13-year-old Paxton resident who died unexpectedly in May 2021.

Find more information or register here.

Worcester Bravehearts Celebrate Worcester’s  300th with Three at Home

The Worcester Bravehearts are celebrating Worcester’s 300th birthday with three home games over Tercentennial weekend.

  • Friday, June 10: Friday Night Fireworks
  • Saturday, June 11: Tornadoes Throwback
  • Sunday, June 12: Tercentennial Family Outing

Be a Gas Leak Detective Walk

Mothers Out Front Worcester brings back its “Be a Gas Leak Detective” walks on Sunday, May 15, at Betty Price Playground at 74 Eastern Avenue in Worcester.

These walks are co-coordinated with a research team supervised by Dr. Sara Wylie at Northeastern University Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute and coordinated by Sarah Lerman-Sinkoff, a PhD student at Clark University’s Graduate School of Geography (GSG).

Learn more here.

Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District Meeting

The next Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District Meeting is Friday, May 13, at 9 AM. The meeting is held virtually.

Learn more and register for the meeting here.

Tips for Allergy Season

Tree pollen remains a burden for many local residents. The physicians and providers at American Family Care (AFC) in Worcester offer expertise to provide relief from seasonal allergies, as well as information about the differences between allergy and COVID-19 symptoms.

American Family Care has an office at  117 Stafford Street in Worcester and offers walk-in options to meet your immediate healthcare needs including urgent care, lab testing, and vaccinations.

When it comes to keeping allergy symptoms in check, Dr. Vincent Meoli, regional medical director of AFC, recommends being proactive about treatment. “There are a variety of over-the-counter and prescription medications that can help provide relief for allergy sufferers,” he said. “Work with a health care provider to find what works best for you.”

Dr. Meoli notes that are also other steps people can take to minimize symptoms, such as keeping doors and windows closed, vacuuming frequently, changing clothes after spending time outdoors and showering at night to remove pollen before going to bed.

“Check your local pollen counts and to the extent possible, avoid being outside when the counts are highest,” he said. “We’ve all gotten pretty used to wearing masks, so consider purchasing pollen masks if you must be outside. COVID masks also offer a level of protection, except for your eyes, because pollen particles are larger than the COVID virus. Just be sure to use disposable masks and throw them away after each use, or wash cloth masks daily to eliminate the pollen they capture.”

Dr. Meoli added, “Taking steps to keep your home clean also goes a long way in minimizing symptoms. Change out air filters in your air conditioner and consider an air purifier, especially for your bedroom, if allergies are a problem.”

Unfortunately, some of the symptoms of seasonal allergies—headaches, fatigue, runny nose and sore throat—are similar to COVID-19 symptoms, leaving people confused about when to seek testing and care.

“There are similarities between seasonal allergies and COVID-19, but there are also some key differences,” said Dr. Meoli. “Itchy, watery eyes and sneezing are strong indications of seasonal allergies and are not generally associated with COVID. On the other hand, a fever or  a sudden loss of taste or smell is more indicative of COVID. When in doubt, it’s always best to see a medical provider and get tested.”

The AFC staff in Worcester offers convenient, walk-in care seven days a week for patients of all ages, including urgent care, physicals, stitches for cuts and lacerations, on-site x-rays, and diagnostic rapid tests and antigen tests for COVID-19 with results available within 15 minutes.

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