With COVID-19 hitting close to home here in Wilson County, Dr. Faulkner and the Connally Memorial Health Centers want to make sure that you’re properly informed about the virus. In this article, you’ll learn about how the virus spreads, the symptoms of the illness, ways to protect yourself from getting it, and what to do if you become ill. You’ll also receive several additional resources so that you can learn even more and track breaking developments.

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is the illness caused by a new strain of the coronavirus, which is why you’ve heard it referred to as the coronavirus or the novel coronavirus. All strains of the coronavirus cause respiratory illness with varying degrees of severity. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19.

How COVID-19 Spreads

COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person. You can catch the virus if respiratory droplets from an infected person land in your nose or mouth. It may also be possible to get sick by inhaling the respiratory droplets of an infected person. You can contract the virus by touching a contaminated item and then touching your face.

Symptoms of COVID-19

Symptoms of COVID-19 can appear 2-14 days after you’ve been exposed to it. The most common signs of COVID-19 are:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath

Other symptoms include aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, or diarrhea. While you may have heard quite a bit about those symptoms, doctors have recently discovered that many COVID-19 patients experience a loss of their sense of smell or a change to their sense of taste. Interestingly, in some cases, a patient’s only symptom has been the loss of their sense of smell.

Depending on your body’s response to the virus, your symptoms may be nonexistent to severe. However, the elderly, the immunocompromised, and those with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes or organ disease, are more likely to deal with severe symptoms.

Note: You may be able to spread the virus even if you’re not showing symptoms or feeling sick.

What to Do if You Feel Sick

If you have symptoms of the virus, you should call your primary care doctor for guidance regarding testing and treatment. Here are some general things to keep in mind to expedite your recovery and protect those around you:

  • Stay home unless you need to travel for medical care.
  • If you must travel for care, try to avoid public transportation.
  • Get plenty of rest.
  • Remain hydrated.
  • Talk to your doctor about medication to alleviate your symptoms.
  • Stay in a separate room and use a separate bathroom, if possible.
  • Wear a cloth mask when you’re around your pets or other people who live with you.
  • Don’t share linens, dishes, or utensils with others in your household.
  • Stay quarantined at home until medically released by your doctor, who will follow these guidelines.

When to Seek Emergency Medical Treatment

Most people will recover from COVID-19 at home. But, if you or a loved one experience any of the following symptoms, call 911 right away:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Confusion or the inability to remain alert
  • Blue tint to the face or lips

When you call 911, please let them know that you may have COVID-19. If possible, try to put on a mask or other face covering to protect emergency and medical personnel.

How to Prevent Catching or Spreading COVID-19

While COVID-19 is a major health concern, there are a number of steps that you can take to prevent catching or spreading the virus:

  • Avoid those who are sick.
  • Don’t travel unless absolutely necessary.
  • Stay at home unless you’re essential personnel or need to pick up groceries or medication.
  • Opt for delivery service of the goods that you need whenever possible.
  • When you are in public, practice social distancing, which means keeping at least 6 feet between you and other people.
  • Consider wearing a mask to protect others in case you may be infected.
  • Avoid touching your face.
  • Sneeze and cough into a tissue, immediately discard the tissue, and then wash your hands.
  • If a tissue isn’t available, sneeze and cough into your elbow.
  • Wash your hands several times a day, using soap and water, for 20 seconds each time.
  • If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content.
  • Frequently disinfect commonly used items — especially your phone!

How We’re Handling COVID-19

Your health and safety is of the utmost importance to us. To minimize risk, we’ve put the following protocols in place:

  • We may call you the day before a scheduled appointment to gauge your need for an in-person visit to see Dr. Faulkner.
  • We ask you to please call the Patient Service Center (830-393-1400) to be screened for COVID-19 prior to your visit.
  • We’re limiting you to one visitor to make it easier to practice social distancing.
  • To avoid crowds in our waiting room, we’re asking you to wait in your car after registration, if possible. We’ll call you when your examination room is ready.
  • When you visit Dr. Faulkner’s clinic, we’ll take your temperature and screen you for cough, difficulty breathing, potential exposure to COVID-19, and high-risk travel history.
  • If we suspect you could have the virus, we may ask you to wear a mask for your appointment. Or, we may ask you to see your primary care doctor rather than Dr. Faulkner.

We Offer Telehealth!

You may need to speak with a doctor, but it may not be urgent enough to warrant a trip to the clinic. That’s when a telehealth visit can come in handy. Here’s how to easily get the care and advice you need without having to leave the comfort and safety of home:

  • Call Connally Memorial Health Centers at (830) 393-1400 to book an appointment.
  • When you call, ask them to give you access to your patient portal.
  • Then, download the patient portal app, Healow, available for both Apple and Android users..
  • Once you download the app, enter in the practice code BIGJBA and go through the agreement screens to allow telehealth visits.
  • If you want to speak with Dr. Faulkner specifically, you may also book online here. Be sure to specify telehealth in the notes/details section. You’ll still need access to your patient portal and to download the app.
  • When it’s time for your telehealth visit, it will happen through the Healow app.

Additional COVID-19 Resources

While we’ve done our best to give you the most important information about the COVID-19 virus, new details are coming out all of the time. Please refer to these additional resources as needed:

You may also call the San Antonio Metro Health COVID-19 Hotline at (210) 201-5779 to get information in both English and Spanish. Their hours of operation are: Monday-Friday from 8AM to 7PM and Saturday-Sunday from 9:30AM to 4:30PM.

Everyone at Faulkner ENT and Connally Memorial Health Centers is wishing you good health, safety, and happiness during this trying time.