Since early 2020, we all have been working diligently to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the disease COVID-19 is extremely contagious and appears largely to be spread through respiratory droplets.
One of the best tools available to limit COVID-19 spread is social distancing. Maintaining a safe distance from others protects you from infection and also protects others from your respiratory exhalations if you're an asymptomatic carrier. People have practiced social distancing at work, in public, and at the grocery store. But what about at the OB/GYN office?
We recommend that you don’t put off seeking professional OB/GYN care for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical care benefits from early and continued attention to your health. For example, you may have concerning symptoms of an STD or an issue with your menstrual cycle that you need to get checked out. Likewise, If you're pregnant or entering menopause, your health care timeline should not be delayed because medical care can be delivered safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So how can you safely get the OB/GYN care you need? Alexandra Pellicena, MD, FACOG cares about your whole-body health and wellness. Dr. Pellicena's office in Houston, Texas, is committed to maintaining high standards of care, including limiting the spread of COVID-19. Here's what we're doing to protect the health of our patients and staff.
Providing high-quality OB/GYN care presents many challenges in the age of COVID-19, but we're more than up to the task. For patients coming into the office, we take the following precautionary steps.
We've made changes to our appointment schedule to limit patient density, so you don't have to worry about facing a crowded waiting room filled with others waiting for their turns. In most cases, you can expect to have the waiting room to yourself. You will also notice a different layout of our waiting room chairs to encourage appropriate distancing.
All of our staff and office personnel wear masks and are temperature screened. Additionally, we thoroughly decontaminate all common areas several times a day.
We're also taking steps to prevent COVID-19 spread within treatment rooms. We use fresh professional-grade PPE for each appointment and thoroughly disinfect and decontaminate our exam rooms between each patient's visit. If you need a procedure that has the potential to produce a lot of respiratory aerosols, increasing transmission risk, we implement additional PPE.
We're also counting on our patients to assist in our efforts against spreading COVID-19. Please do not come to the office when you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
We use temperature checks and a questionnaire to assess all of our OB/GYN patients as they arrive, to screen for potential risks.
We ask you to come to the office alone, without visitors. Please do not bring any family members or friends along for your appointment. The only exception would be a patient who is a minor; in this case a parent or guardian must accompany her.
We also request that everyone wear an appropriate face covering when you arrive at our offices. Plan to use your mask throughout your treatment session, except as indicated by your doctor. Face masks significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19, especially if used consistently and correctly.
We may be also able to cover many of your OB/GYN care needs via telemedicine, allowing you to avoid an office visit altogether. The bottom line is that you don't need to delay your OB/GYN care out of concern of COVID-19. We've got you covered!
Please contact Dr. Pellicena over the phone or online today to book your in-person or telehealth appointment.
