Emergency Preparedness: Coronavirus

At Avail Dermatology, we are closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak via the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus and protocols around it are changing quickly, and we are working to mitigate any impact on our providers, staff and patients.

According to the CDC, this virus is very limited (104 known cases on March 3, 2020) in the United States, and the immediate health risk from coronavirus remains low. However, as global cases rise and the virus continues to spread in more and more countries, the risk for a pandemic is elevated and more likely to occur.

We ask all patients and their guests who have a fever, symptoms of a respiratory infection, or have been exposed to a person with a coronavirus, the flu or any other communicable disease to reschedule their appointments or surgeries. We will be posting signs in our offices, asking screening questions, and following CDC and Georgia DPH protocol for screening and management of patients. If you are at all concerned you may have a serious infectious disease, your best course of action is to seek care at your primary care physician’s office or local hospital’s emergency department.

Please remember that the best way to prevent the spread of communicable disease is cleanliness and hand washing. There is still quite a bit of influenza activity in the US which is still more likely to cause serious illness than the coronavirus. If you have not yet received a flu shot, it is not too late and is still being recommended by the CDC.

Again, this is an evolving and fluid situation. We will continue to monitor and report any new information as it becomes available, if needed.  Please check our website as we plan on posting any new information as soon as possible. We are, as always, focused and dedicated to keeping our patients and staff healthy.