Notification about COVID-19/Coronavirus

The COVID-19 strain of coronavirus has caused an outbreak of respiratory infections in most nations of the world. On the 11th of March 2020, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. More information about what defines a pandemic, what this means and the COVID-19 virus can be found on the NSW Department of Health website  and specific information for Western Australia can be found on  the WA Health Department website 

 

Symptoms of COVID-19 infection

It is important that we are all aware of the symptoms of COVID-19 infection.

From the Department of Health website:

“Patients may have fever, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath and other symptoms.

In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia with severe acute respiratory distress.”

This link contains the latest up-dates regarding COVID-19. More information on COVID-19, including statistics, symptoms and methods of avoiding spread of the infection can be read here.

Note that the symptoms of COVID-19 Coronavirus are difficult to distinguish from a regular cold or flu.

Please call your doctor and seek their advice if you develop any of the symptoms listed above.

 

What COVID-19 means for us

This infection is present in the community of Western Australia. How infectious COVID-19 is, how rapidly it will spread and how dangerous it is, are not currently completely understood. Many people are naturally concerned about the virus and their risk of catching it and developing the infection. Unfortunately, testing for the virus is very difficult at this time. Only a few pathology centres are able to offer the test, and they are currently overwhelmed by demand, causing prolonged and impractical delays in getting results. We are also entering the normal cold and flu season, and the recent drop in temperatures means that we are all far more likely to catch the regular viruses of the autumn and winter seasons.

 

The commitment of our clinic

Innermost Medicine is dedicated to high standards of infection control. That remains unchanged during this time, with the exception of the following additional precautions:

 

What we ask of you, our clients:

·       Please delay appointments if you have returned from overseas travel. Outbreaks are occurring worldwide, so restrictions on treatment following travel must apply to all countries. The recommended isolation time after your return is two weeks.

·       Please cancel your appointment if you develop any of the following symptoms:

                                 Fever

                                 Cough

                                 Runny nose

                                 Shortness of breath

·       Hand rub is available in the waiting room. We ask that you use it on arrival and departure. Handwash is available if you prefer.

·       Do you have an underlying lung condition, are you receiving chemotherapy or do you have a low immune system? At this stage we suggest you delay appointments until we have a better understanding of the spread of this infection.

 

Our commitment to you:

·       I am calling everyone who has booked in with me to ask whether they have travelled internationally in the past 2 weeks or if they have any of the symptoms of viral infection. We will ask people who answer either question in the affirmative to delay their appointments

​

·       I am keeping up-to-date with releases issued by the Western Australia Department of Health  in relation to COVID-19. I will act according to their directions.

 

Please visit this page often, as I will be updating it regularly as new information comes to light.

Do not hesitate to call or email me if you have questions or concerns that you wish to discuss.

​

Yours Truly,

Jo 

​

​