Our primary concern is the health and safety of our patients. Right now, there is a very real risk of the COVID-19 pandemic that threatens all of us, but especially the elderly and those with comorbidities such as diabetes, cardiac disease, hypertension, respiratory disease and cancer. We are encouraging all our patients to stay home and adopt social distancing to reduce their own risk of contracting the coronavirus but also to help flatten the curve of new cases.

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Given this, we have made the very painful decision to limit patient visits to those needing urgent care and are asking patients with routine visits in the next few weeks to reschedule. We are always here for those who are having an urgent problem. If you do need to come to see us in the office for an urgent matter, our staff will be wearing protective gear. We are also, of course, exercising extra precautions to reduce the risk of spreading the virus such as disinfecting surfaces and promoting frequent hand washing and sanitizing.

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If we don’t flatten the curve of new cases in the US, there will not be enough ICU beds and ventilators by mid-April. This means crushing ethical choices of who gets intubated and who is left to die. This sounds like a horror movie but is actually reality in Italy and Iran right now. In some countries people over age 65 aren’t even assessed because they’re overwhelmed trying to save all the younger patients who have a higher chance of survival.

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Data on outbreak containment and why social distancing works

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Information on practicing social distancing

 

This is my plea to all of our patients, whom we cherish, to please help us all by practicing social distancing. So many lives depend on it. Be safe, everyone.

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#flattenthecurve