SAN ANTONIO – A local hospital is ensuring patients that protocols are in place to identify if any of its patients have the coronavirus, now referred to as COVID-19.
“Our first question is ‘Have you traveled outside the country? Have you traveled specifically to the city in China or surround?’” said Adnan Khan, an emergency room doctor at Mission Trail Baptist.
If patients have symptoms related to the coronavirus, they are given face masks and are placed in a separate room.
“They will be gently, carefully cared for, you know, in a negative pressure room, where it’s a room that sort of, like, prevents disease spread through the airborne of means,” Khan said.
Doctor talks about preventing spread of coronavirus at local hospital
There are signs also placed around the hospital. They tell patients to let staff know if they have traveled or had close contact with someone who has visited Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus originated.
Khan reassures patients that the hospital is safe. He said the coronavirus can cause pneumonia. He said if you’re not having those types of symptoms, you don’t have to worry.
“We tell them, like, if your X-ray is not demonstrating anything that resembles the pneumonia that these people are suffering, your blood work is fine. We’re offering a lot of reassurance, and that actually brings a lot of peace of mind to the patients that are fearful of having this,” Khan said.
Coronavirus might be cause for concern, but flu remains much more worrisome in the U.S.
Hospital officials said all five Baptist Health System hospitals in San Antonio, and the one in New Braunfels, have posters about the coronavirus.
Baptist Health System said it’s working closely with the Metropolitan Health District and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond to any potential coronavirus cases in the area.
