In the wake of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals throughout Arkansas have released information regarding increased visitor guidelines, parameters for screening, and precautions to take in avoiding getting the coronavirus.
CARTI’s elevated precautions include:
-Drive-thru pre-screening locations for patients and caregivers to utilize.
-Patients should arrive 40 minutes before their appointment to account for additional time needed to go through the pre-screen process and fill out paperwork.
-Rescheduling all nonessential appointments.
-Canceling all nonessential appointments for our specialty clinics, including The Breast Center at CARTI and The Cancer Genetics and Risk Management Clinic. Diagnostic patients will continue to be seen at The Breast Center.
-Discouraging patients from having food delivered to a CARTI facility
CHI St. Vincent announced new guidelines for hospital visitors and has paused volunteer programs across the Arkansas health system. Visitors will be limited to two (2) immediate family visitors per hospitalized patient, per day. As with all area hospitals, the new visitor guidelines extend beyond tighter visitation restrictions already in place due to the seasonal flu outbreak and are intended to limit the potential spread of the virus to vulnerable populations.
Additionally, CHI St. Vincent advises patients to avoid emergency rooms unless symptoms are severe, such as high fever, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing. Patients are advised to contact their primary healthcare provider by phone first if they experience symptoms like cough, low-grade fever, or other respiratory issues.
In order to assist parents in discerning when to bring their child in for assessment, Arkansas Children’s Hospital website states, “Most fever, cough, and cold symptoms can be managed at home with over-the-counter medications like Tylenol, Motrin, and oral hydration fluids like Pedialyte. However, we encourage you to bring your child to the Emergency Department if:
-They are having difficulty breathing
-They are dehydrated (crying without tears, infrequent urination)
-They are overly drowsy or hard to wake
The website further indicates that fever (a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees) in babies less than three months old should prompt parents to call their primary care physician or bring their child to the Emergency Department.
The public may speak with an Arkansas Children’s pediatric nurse by calling (800) 743-3636. Nursing staff will be available for questions and phone screenings 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Regarding visitation at Arkansas Children’s, only two people per patient are allowed at any time. Only one caregiver may spend the night. This applies to inpatients, outpatient clinic visits, and surgeries. For extenuating circumstances, contact Social Work at (501) 364-1406, or Pastoral Care at (501) 364-1824.
Universally, when being assessed for possible infection, be prepared to answer the following questions:
-Have you traveled internationally within the past 14 days?
-Have you had contact with someone suspected or confirmed to have novel coronavirus (COVID-19)?
-Do you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or symptoms of a common cold or flu?
On its website, the Medical Center of South Arkansas recommends using simple, preventive actions, like the following, to potentially reduce the spread of respiratory diseases like coronavirus.
-Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds making sure to scrub between your fingers and under fingernails or use, a hand sanitizer containing 70% or more alcohol.
-Cover your cough or sneeze with a bent elbow or tissue and immediately dispose of the tissue.
-Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
-Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
-Stay home when you are sick with respiratory symptoms, except to get medical care.