Right now, there is a lot of hysteria about Coronavirus (also called COVID-19). To help keep our patients and their families current with what they need to know, our healthcare providers wanted to provide some basic information about the virus. This information is correct as of March 10, 2020. As more information comes out, we want our patients to stay calm and refrain from panicking. There is much about this virus that we just don’t know yet, which naturally leads to fear and uncertainty. However, we are learning more day by day, hour by hour.

If you think that you might have the Coronavirus, we understand that the logical thing to do would be to come visit your healthcare provider. However, we are currently advising against that. Wait… what? Did you really just say that if we are concerned about Coronavirus that we should not come to our doctor’s office?

Unfortunately, that is correct. We need to protect our patients, families, and staff members from Coronavirus if possible. Medical offices like ours are not designed to quarantine patients and prevent the spread of pathogens like COVID-19. Furthermore, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is not recommending outpatient COVID-19 testing at this point in time. Only if you have to be hospitalized or the test result will make a difference in your personal care. Also, there is no Coronavirus test available to an outpatient office like ours yet. We know how bizarre this sounds, yet it is where we are today, and we wanted our patients to be aware of what we are being told by local, state, and federal authorities.

If you are looking for information on the subject, we will be regularly posting Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates on our blog, so please stay tuned. If you are sicker than a regular cold and need to be evaluated, we will help put you in contact with the Georgia Department of Health for further evaluation. In the meantime, take the necessary precautions, keep properly washing your hands regularly, do not panic, and stay positive. We will make it through this outbreak and all will be well eventually. In the meantime, here is some basic information about the virus that we think all of our patients should be aware.

The virus first emerged in December 2019 in a seafood and animal market in Wuhan, China. World health experts believe that the virus originated in animals and then crossed over to infect humans. It is now being spread from person to person. Worldwide there have been 117,000 confirmed cases with 4,259 deaths. In the US, there have been 605 cases and 22 deaths. The mortality rate calculates out to 3.6%. For comparison, the mortality rate of the flu over the past 10 years has been 0.1%. However, with such a short sample time, it’s hard to make a definitive conclusion based on this data as so many people who have COVID-19 have not been tested.

However, these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. We have much better information about the flu as well as readily vaccines and testing. Identifying and testing for COVID-19 has not been as simple up to this point. The prevalence of the virus is expected to rise in the coming days, and it will probably rise exponentially.  The good news is that about 80% of COVID-19 cases were reported to be mild. The elderly and people with serious preexisting health conditions like COPD, diabetes, and heart disease are at greater risk. The symptoms of Coronavirus are fever, dry cough, and difficulty breathing. Treatment for those who are not severely ill is supportive care. Specifically, treating the fever for comfort and ensuring that the patient stays hydrated.

There are a few things about this virus that has caused some concern. It is very easily spread. Someone coughing within a 6-foot radius of you could be enough to spread the virus. There is an incubation period between exposure and the beginning of symptoms that can take up to 2 weeks. The illness itself can last up to 2 weeks as well. This can put immense pressure on our healthcare system. It’s important to take precautions to avoid potential transmission of the virus. Thoroughly washing your hands (at least 20 seconds with soap and hot water), coughing into your elbow area, avoiding touching your face (specifically the mouth, nose, and eyes) are important ways to avoid spreading the disease.

We hope you found this information helpful. If you are concerned you have COVID-19, contact North Atlanta Pediatrics by phone (but please do not come into our office). We are currently taking precautions to protect our patients and staff from acquiring COVID-19 in the office. We will continue to provide information as it becomes available.