Covid19 procedures and policies

Last updated: May 2023

Short version: COVID-19 is absolutely still a virus of concern. Everyone masks in my office at all times. If anyone has any kind of acute cold or flu or stomach bug, patient or practitioner, EVEN if you test negative for covid, the appointment will be rescheduled and the patient sent home.

Longer version: Frankly, i find the fact that masking is no longer required in medical settings absolutely apalling. Vaccinations help keep you from out of the hospital, but as I understand it rates of vaccination are far lower than they should be, and far from perfect as far as spreading illness is concerned. I have known people who have died from covid, even one who died despite being vaccinated. I know many more who are disabled from it. The odds of getting Long Covid is reduced by vaccination but far from eliminated. In terms of world wide social effect, COVID-19 is more like Polio than the cold or the flu and I take it very seriously.

The fact that people who suffer from pre existing conditions, such as autoimmune illnesses, diabetes or just AGE are no longer kept safe in most healthcare facilities infuriates me. Healthcare is not only supposed to be for the healthy.

As to my insistence that even testing negative for covid isn’t enough to keep an appointment? It’s because the covid tests have not kept up with the virus mutations. It is not uncommon at all to test negative with symptoms several times before the virus is finally present in high enough amounts to be detectable.

Other Precautions: I also have several air purifiers with HEPA filtration running in my offices.