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The Coronavirus Pandemic

adobestock 319024320 The Coronavirus pandemic is an outbreak of disease around the globe.  It is a novel virus that causes a respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, lung region) infection. It is highly contagious – more so than flu.  It is transmitted by carriers who sneeze, cough or touch others close to them.

Coronavirus or Covid-19 virus causes symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath. Milder cases present with cold-like symptoms of sore throat, nasal congestion, and runny nose.

People over the age of 60 and those with underlying chronic illnesses such as diabetes are at greater risk for severe symptoms.  Children have been found to have a milder form of the condition.

Diagnosis can be made with a swab of the upper respiratory tract – the nasopharyngeal area which is at the junction of the nose and throat. However false negative rates are relatively high. In cases where the disease is suspected and symptoms more severe, a CT scan of the chest is highly sensitive in confirming the diagnosis.

You can protect yourself and your family by:

  • practicing frequent hand washing,
  • following social distancing guidelines
  • limiting external contacts

The CDC has recommended that all non-essential businesses close down. Physician clinics are considered essential services and should continue to provide services. Our practice has developed protocols based on NIH and CDC guidelines to protect our patients. These include restricting patients with fever, cough, or shortness of breath. Additionally, we have enhanced cleaning and sterilization processes in our treatment and procedure rooms.

Rest assured, we will continue to engage in the best practices based on the latest national guidelines and research in order to provide safe and effective care and treatment for our patients.

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