We Can ALL Help Limit COVID-19 Exposure

Details: Written by Matt Chandler; Published: 13 March 2020

Primary Care Blog

Disney World closed. Broadway closed. The NBA, NHL, MLB, XFL, and NLL all suspended. Here in Buffalo, The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a cultural must in our town, cancelled.

COVID-19 is here, and it is here for the foreseeable future. At General Physician, PC, we are working every day to make sure not only our patients, providers and staff are informed and well-prepared, but also our community at large.

To that point, we will continue to use our website (www.gppconline.com) this blog, and our social media, to share the latest news, important resources and answers to your most common questions.

I was in a meeting with a doctor yesterday who said, “This is something that is changing by the day, and soon it will be changing by the hour.” Stay informed and stay vigilant.

Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Richard Charles, said there are five things we can all do to limit exposure to COVID-19. You may have heard these before, but are you practicing them?

Wash your hands/hand sanitizer. All day, every day. It matters.
Wear a mask. If you are sick, cover up with a mask. If you’re not, leave the masks for the sick people.
Avoid gatherings. There is a reason every professional sports league has suspended play. Airborne viruses spread rapidly. Minimizing contact with people minimizes the risk of infection.
Leave the hospitals/doctor’s offices for the sick people. If you are exhibiting symptoms, DO NOT go to the hospital or doctor’s office. Call your primary care doctor first. They will direct you, based on your symptoms, on how to proceed. Going to the doctor’s office or hospital puts others at risk. No doctor’s office, hospital, or emergency room can give a COVID-19 test, so stay home and call.
Don’t visit nursing homes. The elderly are the most vulnerable to COVID-19. Most don’t leave the nursing home, so if one becomes infected, the spread is rapid and can be deadly. Use Skype, Face Time, or the telephone to stay in contact with your loved ones.

Finally, stay informed of the rapidly changing closures and rules put forth by the local, state and federal governments. Below are a series of links to follow. Take some time to visit these sites and stay informed.