In the past few week, Dr. Eric Romig, Emergency Medicine Physician with Our Lady of Lourdes, said they have seen an increase in people not going into the ER until it is too late.
"We've had several instances where people have waited, out of fear of the viral exposure, and they've had heart attacks or strokes because of it or had delayed treatment," Romig said.
The medical community does not want people to fear going to the emergency room. Romig said that the procedures they have in place protect everyone.
"When they arrive they'll be met by somebody at the entrance to the emergency department," Romig said. "They will be met with basic screening questions about why they are coming? Do they have symptoms of Coronavirus or are they having other symptoms? Then they'll be separated accordingly," Romig said. "Those who have Coronavirus symptoms will be triaged through one part of the emergency department and someone with other health problems will be triaged through another path. This is to prevent cross contamination of people coming through the emergency department."
While, for many, it may be hard to essentially drop a loved one at the entrance to the emergency room--Romig said it is now part of the policy as well.
"If someone is dropping off a patient, we ask that they provide a mobile phone number so that we contact them," Romig said. "On a case-by-case basis, if we need a family member in the emergency department, then we will let them in. Visitors coming with patients to the emergency department is still limited to try and prevent he spread of any infection."
While the world around us continues to changes daily--the brave men and women on the front lines are doing, what they can, to continue giving us the medical help we need.
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