What you Need to Know About Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Symptoms of the COVID-19 include:

• Mild to severe respiratory illness
• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

If you have symptoms or have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus:

• If your symptoms are not severe, stay home rather than go to the doctor’s office and risk spreading the virus to other people.
• If you suspect you are infected or are showing any of the symptoms, do not go to work and do not travel. Call the PCP for Life office as soon as possible.
• If you have symptoms and/or could be exposed to the virus, call ahead to 281-370-7272 before you go in for an appointment to report:
  • Your symptoms
  • Recent travels
  • Possible exposures

•  You must call in any symptoms, travels and exposures for:
  • Anyone under 5 or over 65 years old
  • People with a chronic medical condition or compromised immune system
• People with any respiratory illness symptoms should not visit family and friends in the hospital or nursing home. These places may now have strict visitor restrictions to protect these vulnerable populations. 

• The immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low for the general public, who are very unlikely to have been exposed to this virus at this time.
• Everyone, whether at home and at work, follow good respiratory and hand hygiene practices at all times:
  • Wash your hands with soap and water (for at least 20 seconds) and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (with at least 60%-95% alcohol). Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Do not have any close contact with people who are known to be sick (for example, do not shake hands with any person who is coughing or sneezing). 
  • Regularly monitor yourself for signs of fever or other symptoms.
  • Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the home and workplace such as, countertops, sinks, seating, workstations and doorknobs.
• Facemasks are not necessary for healthy members of the general public. The CDC does not recommend people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. A facemask should be used by:
  • People who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms and health care workers who are caring for these patients.
• Stay away from work, school or other people if you become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work and school.
• Do not travel while sick.
• Practice healthy habits: Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.

• Those who believe they or their loved ones are experiencing symptoms related to novel coronavirus should first contact their primary care provider or advise the nurse. Clinicians are in the best position to evaluate an individual’s concerns and provide health care guidance. Someone with mild symptoms, for example, will likely be told to simply stay at home, get plenty of rest, practice good hand hygiene and limit close contact with others.Someone who is profoundly ill needs more immediate attention. Your primary care provider can alert an emergency department about your condition, so care teams are prepared for your arrival with the appropriate safety precautions, such as masks, in place.

• Our care teams are handling novel coronavirus cases in the same way we manage other diseases that require safety precautions and monitoring. We are in constant communication with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines about managing potential cases.
• The information we receive includes best clinical practices for enabling clinicians, as well as patients and the public, to avoid being exposed to the virus.
• Any employee with illness symptoms is expected to stay home until they are no longer contagious. It is in everyone’s interest to keep our workforce as safe and healthy as for our patients.