Coronavirus Updates – FAQs

COVID-19 FAQs

COVID COPING STRATEGIES / MENTAL HEALTH

Update as of Thursday, 4/8/2021

COVID-19 Vaccine

Please view this page for more information on our COVID-19 Vaccine scheduling process or call 303-847-0797.

Update as if Thursday, 11/19/2020

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS

Given the rise in COVID cases in our area, we want to review the safety measures in place in our office:

To provide maximum safety for all patients and staff, all “ill” patients are seen initially via a telemedicine appointment. Should an in-person exam be required, we have set up specially designated spaces on the south side of our building where we can see you in person in the parking lot or in one of our designated exam rooms.
Only NON-ILL patients should enter our office through the main lobby entrance.
- If ANYONE in the household is in quarantine, or awaiting COVID results, appointments will need to be rescheduled.
We are asking that only one parent to accompany each child to any office visit.
We are not having parents or siblings wait in our waiting room at this time.
Masks are required in our office for anyone age 2 and up.

We have added a link on our website for COVID-19 FAQs. Please review these guidelines, and if there are additional questions, contact our office directly.

Update as of Thursday, 11/12/2020

COVID SICK PATIENT PROTOCOL

It is our goal to continue to care for any patient who is ill, while not unduly exposing any other patients, or our staff, to possible COVID-19. As such, we will use the following protocol:

Any patient who has an illness will be seen first via telemedicine visit with one of our providers. It will then be determined if that patient needs to come in, or can be safely treated without an in-person visit. If the patient does need to be seen in person, he/she will be directed to park in designated spaces in our south lot, return to the virtual waiting room, and then be directed to enter through the south entrance into specially designated rooms. This area does not come into contact with any of our other acute or well rooms. We are using our acute side for only non-ill patients, so as not to risk any COVID exposure. Of course, our well side is totally separate from other areas.

Patients will only be charged one copay and one visit, as long as the face-to-face visit and the telemedicine visit occur on the same day.

IN-OFFICE COVID TESTING

We have finally received an FDA approved COVID-19 test analyzer. Due to a limited supply of testing materials, we will be doing testing only on patients with symptoms. Those who need testing for exposure only will still be sent to Children’s Hospital drive through. In addition, we will be unable to perform testing on parents or others. The test is good when used in the right clinical setting, but not as accurate as the PCR. Therefore, in some instances, we may recommend a second test at Children’s Hospital.

We are here for you during this difficult time as we navigate this together. Stay safe and stay well.

Update as of Thursday, 10/22/2020

COVID-19 UPDATE

By Jay Rabinowitz, M.D., F.A.A.P.

It has been a while since I shared an update with you. But as cases are rising, it is worth reviewing what we know.

Rates. As predicted, the rates of COVID-19 are rising in the fall. Colder weather, along with the move to more indoor activity, causes an increase in all respiratory viruses, and COVID-19 seems to be no exception. In addition, there has been COVID fatigue—we are all getting worn out by this and taking more risks. But some good news is that the hospitalization and death rates are decreasing due to more experience in treating this illness. Nevertheless, the death rate is still alarming. To date, there have been 300,000 more deaths in the US in 2020 than expected (220,000 from COVID-19), based on past years. The “excess death rate” is highest in the 25-44 year old age group. Parents, this is many of you, so be careful!

Schools. The good news here is that the spread of COVID-19 in schools, especially elementary schools, is much less than predicted. Children seem to spread it less to each other, but more to their family. There still will be temporary setbacks in all probability, but these seem to be less than expected.

Treatment. There is still no cure for COVID-19. Treatment is supportive. Other than dexamethasone (the steroid, which we also use for croup), the medications you hear about are experimental and not regularly used yet.

Testing. This still is a problem, with some devices less accurate than others, and the consumer not knowing what they are getting when they go to a non-hospital setting. We are still waiting to receive our machine, which has been promised on numerous occasions, only to be reprocessed to government agencies (or maybe the NFL?).

Vaccine. We are all waiting for this potential knockout to COVID-19. But we are still many months away from this, and I doubt we will see any universal vaccine before next summer, and possibly longer. Trials in children, the elderly, and pregnant women have not even started yet, and therefore those age groups would be at least six months away. But everyone should get their flu vaccine now; the flu is dangerous enough by itself, but could be deadly with COVID!

Parker Pediatric COVID Cases. Since July, we have had 15 positives, none of whom needed hospitalization. Of course, there may have been others who went to urgent care that we do not know about, as well as asymptomatic cases. Most cases came from their own household.

Recommendations. Despite COVID fatigue, this is the time to become more diligent.

Wear masks—truly the one real weapon we have.
Limit indoor activities, travel, and crowds.
Consider Holiday gatherings virtually.

We all need to make sacrifices for the benefit all of us, or this winter could be very deadly.

Update as of Thursday | 09/10/20

COVID UPDATE

In our effort to keep you up to date on the often confusing and contradictory news concerning COVID-19, we want to bring you some updates from what we consider reliable sources. In this case, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the University of Pennsylvania’s vaccine experts.

Statistics: According to the AAP and the Children’s Hospital Association, there have been over 500,000 children in the US who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 103 deaths. This is more deaths than a typical flu season, but a small percentage of the total overall cases. Nevertheless, the cases are rising, and will probably continue to do so in children now that schools have started. These numbers are reminders that we need to continue to take this virus seriously, and continue to wear face masks and practice social distancing.

Vaccine: As for a vaccine, Phase 3 trials would have to be completed and analyzed for such data as sample size, complications, rates of protection, and age group information. In order to get a vaccine out in 2020, it would require emergency use authorization before the Phase 3 trials are finished. Most would not feel comfortable receiving one at that point. Also, we would not know yet which of the multitude of vaccines being developed will emerge as the front runner. But on the positive side, these trials are being fast tracked due to no financial risk to the companies (the government is footing the bill) and the numerous companies working on them. Also, the risk of a serious long-term complication from any vaccine is still less than one in a million, so hopefully, sometime in 2021 it may be safe to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Influenza: Finally, we are seeing a predicted high demand for flu vaccine this season, in order to prevent a dreaded “twindemic”. We have an ample supply on the way, and have scheduled flu clinics over the next few months. We still have some parents refusing the flu vaccine for their child(ren), and we urge them to reconsider. The risk-reward is firmly on the side of getting a flu shot.

Update as of Tuesday | 08/25/2020

The following persisting myths concerning coronavirus have been proven false:

The virus was engineered in a lab in China.
Even US Intelligence has denied this possibility.
Wealthy elites have purposely spread the virus to gain power and wealth.
QAnon and anti-vaxer rhetoric.
COVID-19 is no worse than the flu.
The flu is never asymptomatic and makes you quite ill, but doesn’t cause nearly the number of deaths.
You don’t need to wear a mask.
Yes, you do! It’s our best defense.
Hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment.
No data to support this and lots of side effects.
The Black Lives Matters protests led to an increased transmission.
It did not.
Spikes in cases are due to increased testing.
The percentage of positive tests have gone up, therefore this myth is debunked.
We can achieve herd immunity by letting the virus spread throughout the community.
For that to happen, 2/3’s of the population would have to get COVID-19, and that would lead to way too many deaths.
Any vaccine would be unsafe and lead to a bigger risk than COVID-19.
If the CDC and other scientific groups deem it safe and effective, it would be wise to get, despite what anti-vaxer groups say.