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Questions and Concerns about COVID-19

Your Safety is Our Top Priority – What You Should Know About COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus)

We know you may be concerned about news of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and its implications for the health of you and your loved ones. Your safety and well-being are our top priority at San Diego Sports Medicine and Family Health Center.

We want to assure you that we are taking all the necessary measures and precautions to protect the safety of our patients and our staff. As our patient, you should feel very confident that we will be able to manage all of your health needs without a significant risk of being infected. You can feel confident in making and keeping your appointment with our offices. We are taking steps to ensure patients with potential communicable infections avoid our waiting rooms, and we have protocols in place to isolate these patients away from our other patients and staff.

What is San Diego Sports Medicine doing to protect patients?

  • We are screening all patients for symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath and with a history of travel within the past 14 days to communities with widespread or sustained community transmission of the coronavirus.
  • Patients who have the above symptoms are being treated through telemedicine visits, which will prevent exposure to others in our offices.
  • If we have a confirmed or potential patient with COVID-19 in the office, we will institute standard infectious disease protocols to prevent the potential spread of the virus. This includes quickly moving these patients to isolation away from our other patients for further care. All health care providers who have contact with the patient will use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), following U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

What if I am sick and want to see a doctor?

If you have symptoms of fever, cough, or shortness of breath, please call our office at (619) 229-3909 before coming in. We will screen you over the phone to determine the best and safest method of providing care to you.

San Diego Sports Medicine offers telemedicine visits and telephone visits in addition to regular in-office appointments. If a patient has symptoms but needs to be seen in person, we have protocols in place to isolate these patients from our other patients and staff.

Please call our office at (619) 229-3909 to schedule an appointment with your provider. Depending on your circumstances, we can offer telemedicine visits, telephone visits, or inperson office visits. Telemedicine visits, which include both audio and visual communication, are strongly preferred over telephone visits. Telemedicine visits will give the provider the best information needed to properly evaluate your symptoms and manage your care. In order to have a telemedicine visit, you will need to be registered on MyChart.

How to Register for MyChart and use Telemedicine

You will first need an activation code from SDSM. Please call our office at (619) 229-3909 and advise that you would like to sign up for MyChart and need an activation code. You will need to provide your e-mail address to the receptionist, who will e-mail an activation code to you. This activation code is only valid for a short period of time, so be sure to watch your e-mail including junk mail folders for the code. Because we share our electronic medical record system with UCSD, this e-mail will originate from UCSD. Once receiving the code, visit our website at www.sdsm.com, and click on the “MyChart” icon in the upper right corner, then follow the directions to register in MyChart.

In order to have a telemedicine visit, you will need to use a mobile device (tablet or cell phone) and download the MyChart app from the App Store or the Google Play store.

Once you are registered with MyChart, we can schedule you for a telemedicine visit with a provider at San Diego Sports Medicine. At least 15 minutes prior to your telemedicine appointment, please check in through the MyChart app and follow the instructions.

How concerned should I be about the coronavirus?

Coronaviruses can cause symptoms from the common cold up to and including pneumonia. Most people infected with the novel coronavirus have mild cold symptoms. A small fraction of people, however, may require intensive care. For San Diegans, the seasonal flu remains a significant health risk, and at this point is more common than Coronavirus.

Take the proper steps to prevent infection of both Coronavirus and Influenza:

  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • If you have fever, cough or difficulty breathing, seek medical care early.
  • Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider.

Is there anything I can do to protect myself?

It is understandable to feel uncertain or anxious during a public health crisis, and we need to remember to avoid making assumptions about others’ perceived symptoms or any characteristics of identity. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent the novel coronavirus infection. The best way to protect your health is by practicing the preventive measures listed above, and by getting a flu shot to help prevent illness and symptoms similar to the novel coronavirus.

Should I wear a mask?

The CDC has updated its recommendations on the use of face masks for the general U.S. public to protect themselves from respiratory viruses, including the novel coronavirus. Face masks are strongly suggested for the general public when in environments that do not permit proper social distancing of a minimum of six feet, when both indoor and outdoor. All patients being seen in SDSM offices will be required to wear masks.

You can also find more information about the virus from these websites:

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