Coronavirus (COVID-19) | Lincoln Family Medicine Center

 
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Lincoln Family Medicine will continue to meet our patients’ healthcare needs during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. 

During this outbreak, you can best stay informed of changes and developments by visiting the CDC Website and subscribing to their daily e-newsletter https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Out of utmost concern for health and safety, all clients will be asked questions to screen for risk of COVID-19 by clinic staff upon arrival.

The questions are related to symptoms and exposure,

• Fever >100.4
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Exposure to others who are sick
• Travel history

If the individual doesn’t meet screening requirements, they will be asked to leave.

Check in of patients will occur on the first floor in the Acupuncture area and they will then wait downstairs for their appointment.

Exam rooms, seating, door handles, etc. will be wiped down with sanitizing wipes between patients.

Starting immediately, we request that each patient come alone to their appointment or, if the patient is a minor, with no more than one parent or guardian. If you do need to have someone accompany you, we ask that this be limited to ONE visitor. If you are feeling unwell, we encourage you to call to reschedule your appointment.

To keep well patients and potentially ill patients separate, we ask for your patience as you may encounter some delays due to measures taken for our new screening and intake processes. Also, we offer Telehealth visits when possible to help meet our patients' needs as safely as we can.

All are advised to wear cloth masks in public. According to the CDC, this new recommendation came because many people with confirmed COVID-19 are asymptomatic and unknowingly spread this disease. Protect yourself and others, do your part to reduce spreading coronavirus, wear a mask. Read more at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html

We continue to accept new patients at Lincoln Family Medicine. Please call 402-483-4571. Non-urgent appointments such as annual physicals and well checkups are being scheduled in late May or June for now. When you do come for your first appointment, please arrive early so that we can get you registered. You will need to bring one form of personal identification and your insurance card if you have one.

Thank you for doing your part to ensure the health and safety of others. We can get through this together.

BASIC FACTS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS BASICS COVID-19

Coronavirus is a respiratory disease first detected in China, that has now been detected in almost 90 locations internationally, including in the United States and Nebraska. The virus has been named SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” and abbreviated to COVID-19.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 INFECTION?

Patients with confirmed COVID-19 experience a mild-to-severe respiratory illness. Symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. It may appear 2-14 days after exposure.

HOW DOES THE VIRUS SPREAD?

The usual spread for COVID-19 is from close (within 6 feet) person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing. It may also be spread through airborne transmission when tiny droplets remain in the air even after the person with the virus leaves the area. Contaminated surfaces are thought to be another, less common, route of transmission. It should be noted that common disinfectants kill COVID-19 on surfaces.

ARE SOME PEOPLE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO GETTING COVID-19?

Older people and people of all ages with severe underlying health conditions – like heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes, for example – seem to be at a higher risk of developing serious COVID-19 illness.

HOW IS COVID-19 DIAGNOSED AND TREATED?

Diagnosis may be difficult with only a physical exam because mild cases of COVID-19 may appear similar to the flu or a cold. A laboratory test is the only way to confirm the diagnosis and currently, the tests are in short supply. Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC are determining who needs to be tested, and these tests are being done at specific sites throughout the state.  We do not currently have the testing capability at Lincoln Family Medicine Center.  As of now, there is not a specific medication treatment for the virus.

HOW DO I PROTECT MYSELF AND MY FAMILY FROM THE VIRUS?

  • Wash your hands often (with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer)

  • Cover your cough/sneeze with a tissue

  • Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth

  • Avoid close contact with ill individuals

  • Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces often

  • Wear a cloth mask or face covering when in public

  • Stay home when you are ill

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I BECOME SICK?

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Have you traveled internationally within 14 days of your symptoms starting?

  • Have you come into close contact with someone who has a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis within 14 days of your symptoms starting?

  • Do you have a fever greater than 100.4 OR symptoms of lower respiratory illness such as cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing?

If you answered YES, please contact us at Lincoln Family Medicine Center BY PHONE FIRST at 402-483-4571, so we can help you with the next steps.

If you answer YES, but are also in RESPIRATORY DISTRESS or having significant DIFFICULTY BREATHING, as with all emergencies, please dial 911.

For more general information about COVID-19, please visit the following websites: 


We will update additional information as it becomes available.

 
Lincoln Family Medicine Center