Friday, March 13, 2020
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE:
Dear Patients,
No doubt you’re well acquainted at this point with the novel Coronavirus, aka COVID-19. We’re writing to give a quick update and share some of the information we have gathered. Please have a quick look and be in touch if we can help you with anything.
Office visits:
At this time we are still open for illness-related and regular follow-up visits, as well as annual exams. However, our vulnerable patients, those over 65 or with chronic diseases, may want to consider postponing office visits or chatting with us on the phone. If you’re unsure about an upcoming visit please give us a call.
COVID-19 Testing:
There are multiple outlets for testing but few in Oregon are easily accessible to the general public at this time. We expect this situation to improve soon and will update once we have more information. Here are the current options:
Oregon Health Authority – testing is available through the Oregon Health Authority for a very limited number of people. At this point this is primarily used for those who are hospitalized or for individuals who work with high risk populations such as health care workers.
Commercial labs – Two labs, LabCorps and Quest, are now offering COVID-19 testing. We have not had access to the proper supplies for testing yet, but will do our best to acquire these. We will likely also need to reserve these for unusual or emergency circumstances.
What to do if you show symptoms:
Symptoms of COVID-19 most commonly include sore throat, fever, dry cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, and sometimes other flu symptoms.
DO
• Self-isolate at home until 72 hours after fever and cough (if present) resolve per the advice of Oregon Health Authority
• Call us. Let us know about your symptoms so that we can help you manage them as well as assist with decisions about seeking further care
DO NOT
• Come in to the office without first speaking with a staff member
• Seek testing at urgent care or emergency department unless your symptoms warrant further medical assistance
Please understand that this is a rapidly evolving situation and we will do our best to keep you in the loop with any updates. We understand and share many of your frustrations. Regardless of the availability of testing, the best thing we can do is maintain good hygiene and follow the guidelines set forth by the Oregon Health Authority.
Stay well, Jim Biemer, Julia Jones, and the team 503-384-0316 |
