Doctors Use Tents, Car Exams, Hotlines To Prevent COVID-19 Spread

WEST BABYLON, NY — As concerns over the new coronavirus grow on Long Island, medical offices are deploying a variety of methods to prevent the spread of the respiratory virus COVID-19 in waiting rooms and offices. At LI Urgent Care in West Babylon, tents were erected outside the main building and anyone suspected of possible exposure is instructed to fill out a form attached to the front door and use a smart phone to fill out a questionnaire about symptoms and travel history before they are seen one at a time in the outdoor tents.

Confirmed cases on Long Island have increased in the last week, with 19 in Nassau and one in Suffolk as of Tuesday morning. Criteria for testing includes the presence of common COVID-19 symptoms like fever, shortness of breath and dry cough along with international travel or exposure to anyone known to have the virus.

At ProHEALTH Urgent Care in West Islip, isolation procedures and mandatory use of masks were in place for any walk-in patients with any of the hallmark symptoms of the virus. ProHEALTH, like many other healthcare providers across the United States, is also directing callers to a special coronavirus hotline where they can be screened over the phone for eligibility for COVID-19 testing.

Follow the latest on the new coronavirus on Long Island here.

Other medical providers, including specialists, have begun asking anyone making office appointments if they have traveled outside the country as a new standard protocol. Catholic Health Services are informing visitors to public areas of their hospital network that if they "have travelled internationally or had close contact with someone who recently traveled internationally and was ill and you have fever, cough, trouble breathing, rash, vomiting or diarrhea, please do not visit and immediately contact your local health department for guidance."

The New York State Department of Health hotline for those concerned about possible exposure or COVID-19 infection is 888-364-3065.