BOSTON (CBS) - As coronavirus spreads in the community, more and more people will be exposed or at least worry that they've been exposed. But before you hop in the car to seek medical attention, you should hop on the phone first.

I work in an urgent care and patients often come in concerned that they have a sinus infection, pneumonia, or the flu, but with concerns about the new coronavirus we are actively discouraging people from just walking into an urgent care, doctor's office, or emergency room.

You could be putting other patients in the waiting room at risk, many of them elderly or otherwise vulnerable.

And right now, urgent cares and doctor's offices and many emergency rooms don't have the capability to test for the virus.

So, please, even if you have a fever and cough, if you're otherwise doing well at home, first call your doctor's office or your local board of health where someone can help determine if you need testing and how to get it.

If you're really sick and need emergency care, call 911 and tell the operator you think you may have coronavirus.

And if you have been told to self-quarantine, please don't break the rules and leave the house to get some "fresh air," run to the store, or go to an event. We all have to work together as a community and as a nation to stop the spread and protect one another.