I'm an author and artist but my full time position is working in a medical office. I get an MD office view of what's going on as our nation deals with the corona virus. People are in panic mode which is never a good thing. Here are some observations from your medical service providers' side of the equation:
1. There are a number of viruses out there in the community. Flu A&B is still rearing their ugly heads as well as an acute bronchitis virus, a common cold virus, pneumonia virus, other assorted upper respiratory viruses, and now seasonal allergies due to the mild winter and no snow cover. Differentiating between viruses is not an easy task. Keeping patients safe from exposure and treating those who have symptoms are two top concerns for everyone in the medical field. The way to limit exposure is to call your doctor's office and not just drop in and say, "I'm sick!" Honestly and accurately describe your symptoms. Do not exaggerate them. Have information the doctor needs written down before you call such as- have you traveled outside of the country, have you been exposed to anyone with a virus, do you have a fever, what is the highest your fever has been, chills, sweating, do you have muscle aches and pains, post nasal drip (mild-moderate-severe), a runny nose, a cough, chest congestion, difficulty breathing, how long have you had the symptoms. are they worsening or beginning to improve? The doctor will evaluate your illness by the information you provide and determine your treatment course. Remember, there are chronically sick and elderly patients being seen. If you are told t come into the office, put on a mask (most offices will provide one wen you arrive). Seat yourself in the designated area. Follow instructions. If you are told not to come home, that medication will be sent to your pharmacy, if there is someone who is not exhibiting symptom in your household send that person to pick up the medication and whatever else you need. Self quarantine for 14 days. If symptoms worsen, call your doctor again and you'll be told what to do.
2. In the office I work in we have had patients yelling and screaming at the window and over the phone. Behaving like that only stresses the staff who are working in an already stressful environment to help you. If you are expecting a call back from the doctor it is imperative that you answer the phone when the doctor calls you. If you do not recognize the number as your doctor's it could be because many offices have multiple phone lines and doctors are using whatever line is available. Call volume is at a maximum. Do not be angry and hostile if you have difficulty getting through. You have to wait your turn just like everyone else. Also, if you have provided only a cellphone number make sure your incoming calls do not immediately direct a caller to your voice mail. If you haven't set up a voice mail box the call will be disconnected. If your voice mailbox is full the doctor is not going to sit there all morning trying to reach you. There are numerous other patients to call. It's your responsibility to make sure your phone is accepting calls and that you answer them. The office is busy taking calls. The doctors are seeing patients and making calls between patients. If you call and expect a call back have the common courtesy to make sure your phone is going to receive the call and don't get made if you fail to clear your phone for incoming calls. Answer the phone if you want to talk to the doctor or you go to the bottom of the list, simple as that.
3. Your doctor's office is under no obligation to your employer to provide you with face masks, gloves, or anything else your employer is asking you to wear for safety. Go to the store and buy these items, order them online, and do not go to work until you have supplied yourself with the safety precautions your employer has asked you to. Doctors do not hand out supplies for free because you have to go to work.
4.Be aware that waiting rooms are being wiped down but not every germ can be eliminated. Do not bring babies or small children with you. Leave them with a healthy friend or relative. Or, if you have no one, call your doctor's office and ask for a tele-visit. Do not unnecessarily expose babies and children to germs. This also goes for people with autoimmune diseases, mast cell disorders, weakened immune systems due to chemo and radiation treatments, dialysis, and other medical procedures that have lowered your body's ability to fight germs/viruses. Call and ask for a tele-visit.
5. Get sunshine and fresh air. Sunshine activates your vitamin D which helps boost your immune system. Take a walk in your yard, or sit on your porch, patio, or deck.
6. The medical field is overwhelmed right now. Accept that they are working hard to keep you as healthy as possible. Your health is important to your doctor, and so is the health of every other patient the doctor sees. The medical staff is working hard to triage your phone calls and get the information to the doctors quickly. Calls can be delayed if there are medical emergencies in the office. Wait for your doctor to return your call. Do not keep calling which but only ties up the phone lines but is redundant since you are already in the queue. Drink fluids, rest, and wait for the doctor to call back. If you have difficulty breathing, go directly to the ER.
7. Common sense and common courtesy will help get ALL of us through this health crisis. The doctors have never seen this particular virus before. They are keeping up with current information while treating patients. It's their job to weed out the fiction from the fact and treat you appropriately. Let them do their job and stop stressing yourself out reading misinformation on social media and the internet.
8. If you haven't gotten this virus yet, stay safe and healthy. Don't take risks. While some preventatives put into place in the community and across the country seem absurd and excessive it's being done not to prevent the spread but to lessen the ever expanding cases of it. All viruses run their course. This one got out of hand and we need to do what we have to do to slow it down and let it play itself out.
I don't often write non-fiction but in unprecedented times I thought I'd give it a shot. Work is stressful enough in a medical office without people shouting and screaming at the staff who are following the new procedures put in place to keep patients safer from exposure. When you reach your doctor's office kindly do not rant and rave about how long it took to get through because people doing the same thing are who kept you from getting through sooner. Just state what's going on in a detailed but succinct manner and remember someone else is trying to get through, too.
Thanks for reading this.
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