How Walk-In Clinics Are Preparing For The Coronavirus
WALTHAM (CBS) -- "Tell me about your travel history in the last 30 days," says Dr. Kristina Orio. She runs down a list of questions she would ask a person who comes into her clinic concerned they might have the coronavirus.
"Any fevers? If so, how high have they been? Are you having any sore throat? Any cough?" she asks.
Dr. Orio works at AFC Urgent Care in Waltham, one of the many walk-in clinics on the front line responding to what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says is inevitable: the spread of Coronavirus.
"Many patients have traveled to China, so they've been calling us or walking in," she said.
At the front desk, patients who've been to an area with a coronavirus outbreak and now have respiratory symptoms are given a medical face mask. The doctor also suits up in several layers of protective gear. The clinic is well-stocked with the gear right now, but they are concerned about future supplies.
"This is what's available to all of the staff in our facility to try and prevent transmission between patients and staff," Dr. Orio said.
She said she would take samples from patients who fit the criteria set by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the CDC. Those samples go to the state lab for testing while the patient stays in isolation either at home or in a hospital.
If it sounds ominous, Dr. Orio said, it's not time to panic.
"It has a very low mortality of 2% or less, and for most of us who are healthy, it will only give us cold like symptoms or no symptoms," she said. "The patients that we're very worried about are patients who have serious immune disorders or are immune compromised, are older, or have a lot of co-morbid conditions. Those are the patients at highest risk for death and complications."