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AtlantiCare has seen a marked increase in the number of “worried-well” patients seeking care in its urgent care centers and emergency departments. It continues to urge members of the community to call their primary care provider or pediatrician before seeking care in any medical setting for themselves or children for symptoms of flu, flu-like illnesses, coronaviruses, and other respiratory illnesses.
“It is critically important that as members of the community, we all follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and New Jersey Department of Health for preventing spread of coronavirus,” said Manish Trivedi, M.D., director of AtlantiCare’s Division of Infectious Diseases. “Your healthcare provider can give you direction about whether to seek care in a medical setting or to stay home to have supportive care.”
“Having the right care in the right setting – which could include not going to a healthcare facility – will help to protect yourself, other patients, and healthcare providers,” Trivedi said. “Taking this precaution and following all precautions for preventing the spread of coronavirus and other illnesses will also ensure healthcare workers are available to provide timely, direct care for ill patients.”
At this time, AtlantiCare is not testing patients in a widespread manner for coronavirus.
“We follow NJDOH testing criteria,” he said. “This includes only testing patients who have had close contact with a person who was diagnosed as having COVID-19 and those who are ill enough to be hospitalized and for whom other sources of respiratory illness have been ruled out.”
AtlantiCare has also enhanced its flu and virus season visitor restrictions. It is limiting the number of people who can visit an individual patient to two at a time. It is also restricting anyone from visiting patients or accompanying family members to appointments who:
- Has cold or flu-like symptoms, including fever, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and/or trouble breathing;
- Has recently travelled to areas with high coronavirus activity as listed in the CDC’s travel alerts (www.cdc.gov);
- Has had contact with individuals confirmed or determined to be a “person under investigation” for coronavirus;
- Is under the age of 14.
“We also continue to urge the community to follow good respiratory hygiene practices,” Trivedi said.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve, not your hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use 60% or higher alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Stay home if you are sick, other than to seek care when your healthcare provider directs you to do so.
- Avoid sick people.
- Follow CDC guidelines for travel.
AtlantiCare has included community information and resources on its website at www.atlanticare.org/coronavirus/. Members of the community seeking a primary care, specialty care, or pediatric provider can call the AtlantiCare Access Center at 1-888-569-1000. Those experiencing a medical emergency should dial 911.
