Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Seeking out medical care in our new coronavirus society is changing with efforts to prevent virus transmission unnecessarily.
One local urgent care center is saying don't just walk in, especially if you may have any symptoms of coronavirus.
WellNow Urgent Care is launching an in-vehicle triage and it srarts when you pull in. Prior to entering the facility patients are required to answer two questions: Are you experiencing fever, cough or shortness of breath, and Have you had potential exposure to someone confirmed positive for coronavirus (COVID-19)?
“We understand people are unsure if they should leave home to get care right now,” says WellNow Urgent Care President Dr. John Radford. “In-vehicle triage and the expansion of WellNow Virtual Medical are the latest ways our team is stepping up to provide access to even more distancing between patients in this crisis. We hope these necessary steps will help to reassure our communities they don’t have to delay getting quality medical care.”
Foster says this is a great measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus. "It's really minimizing the amount of contact people are having with potentially high risk patients as well as the time they're in our sites to have potential exposure to other patients and our staff," notes Foster.
There are additional precautions being taken by staff, says Foster. "We're doing hand washing, wearing protective equipment including masks and gloves. We are cleaning the entire room in between every single patient," says Foster.