The idea of staying protected from the coronavirus should not prevent you from seeking urgent care for an illness or injury. Your health and safety are the top priority in health facilities of all kinds, from hospitals to urgent care centers.
You can rest assured that everyone is taking extra precautions, especially healthcare providers – since they, too, value their own health and safety as well as that of their family members when they go home. Offices of doctors, dentists, nurses, emergency rooms, and urgent care centers alike are following strict safety standards.
If you want to know how your healthcare facility is keeping patients safe during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic, you can visit their website or call them for specific information. Let’s talk about some of the things that are being done to keep everyone safe from the virus, particularly in urgent care centers.
The Effect of COVID-19 on Urgent Care Centers
Many people are avoiding seeking medical care of any kind due to their fear of being around sick people and catching the coronavirus. It is why emergency rooms are seeing much fewer patients in the previous few months as compared to the same time last year.
A survey found that approximately 80% of patients are avoiding emergency care due to a fear of catching the COVID-19 virus from another patient or a doctor. This means that many patients are languishing at home, ill or injured, enduring their symptoms and possibly not getting better. Meanwhile, these facilities are open and ready for patients, and they are keeping everyone safe.
What Healthcare Facilities Are Doing to Stay Safe
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidelines for healthcare facilities on how to manage and operate effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what you can expect when you seek urgent care:
Everyone Wearing Personal Protective Equipment
All people, ages 2 and up, are required to wear masks at all urgent care centers. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided to you.
Healthcare professionals are all required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while on the premises, and that includes medical-grade masks, gloves, and gowns. It may also include goggles and face shields in various circumstances.
Screening Everyone Before Entry into the Building
Anyone (including healthcare professionals) entering a healthcare facility will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms before entry is allowed during the pandemic. Urgent care centers will have a separate area for those who are suspected of having COVID-19.
Social Distancing Requirements
You may be told to come at a specific hour and to stay in your vehicle until a staff member comes to get you. Provisions are in place so that you will avoid contact with other patients, and social distancing rules are enforced.
Cleaning and Disinfecting
The cleaning and disinfecting protocols have been updated and are being done at a much higher frequency. Clinic areas are cleaned before and after every patient arrives and departs.
Limited Number of Visitors Together
Most urgent care clinics are also requiring that patients come by themselves or with only one assistant if necessary. Groups and families are not allowed due to the heightened risk of potential cross-infection.
Urgent Care Center in Rochester, NY
If you are visiting an urgent care clinic, be sure to keep your mask on at all times and to keep your hands sanitized. Bring a maximum of just one person with you to the clinic if you need assistance. To check the urgent care center’s rules, call them beforehand for guidance.
Here at Cornerstone Urgent Care Center, we diagnose and treat patients for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries, and we also provide COVID-19 testing for our patients. Staying true to our model, there is no need to make an appointment. You are welcome to visit Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Feel free to call us at (585) 207-0088 if you have any questions, or fill out our contact form online for non-urgent matters. We look forward to serving you!
