+++++ URGENT MESSAGE +++++
Dear Patients,
the corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) has now arrived in all federal states. By March 16th, 6.012 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases had been reported in Germany, 1.174 more cases than the previous day. Of these, 5.433 COVID-19 cases were electronically transmitted to the RKI (figures from the Robert Koch Institute on March 16th, 7 pm).
What does this mean for our practice?
We try to maintain our normal business as much as possible. However, due to the current circumstances this is not as easy as it is supposed to be. From today (Tuesday, March 17th) we will adjust our business hours to the reduced staff. Until April 19th we will open our practice from monday to thursday only from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm and on fridays from 8.00 am to 12.00 am.
Our medical assistants are currently trying to reach the patients by phone and either postpone their appointment to earlier times or – if necessary – move it to another day. We would therefore ask you to understand our needs for the current situation and to accept new appointments, which may not be ideal or comfortable for you. This enables us to ensure that we are able to continue your treatments without further problems.
A few questions in advance …
Both – your and our well-being – are important to all of us. For this reason we will now give you questionnaires to answer, which include the following queries:
- Do you currently have flu-like symptoms?
- a headache
- body aches
- sore throat
- exhaustion
- fever or high temperature
- Have you been in contact with a patient who tested positive for Covid19?
- Have you been in a crisis area in the past few weeks
- Italy
- Iran
- China: Hubei Province (including Wuhan City)
- South Korea: Gyeongsanbguk-do Province (North Gyeongsang)
- France: Grand Est region (this region includes Alsace, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne)
- Austria: State of Tyrol
- Spain: Madrid
- United States: states of California, Washington and New York
Source: Robert-Koch-Institut, Internationale Risikogebiete und besonders betroffene Gebiete in Deutschland
If you have to answer ONE of these questions with YES, we would ask you to introduce yourself in one of the surrounding hospitals in order to get tested there. If ONLY ONE employee of our practice would be tested positive for this virus, we would have to close the practice for at least 14 DAYS and we would no longer be able to treat you and all other patients who need help. Even if there is ONLY A SUSPECTED INFECTION we would have to keep the practice closed for at least 48 HOURS until there is a NEGATIVE VIRUS DETECTION. Only after these periods we ARE ALLOWED and ABLE to treat patients again …
Should you require any further information you will find numerous, regularly updated reports on the following pages:
We thank all of you for your kindful understanding and hope that you all stay healthy until the situation has calmed down again!
your TEAM from the Gelenk- und Wirbelsäulenzentrum Potsdam
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