In order to protect vulnerable patients in our office and answer general questions you may have about COVID-19 we are providing the following information and resources.
IDATB COVID-19 Safety Procedures:
Infectious Disease Associates of Tampa Bay is concerned for the safety of all our patients and staff. We have implemented the safety procedures and precautions described below to ensure that your experience at IDATB meets this goal.
- We screen all patients and visitors following the screening protocol below with the following questions:
- Have you experienced any of the following symptoms in the past 48 hours:- Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea?
- Within the past 14 days, have you been in contact with a person who is known to have a confirmed COVID-19, or anyone who has had symptoms consistent with COVID-19?
- Are you isolating or quarantining because you may have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 or are worried that you may be sick with COVID-19?
- Are you currently waiting on the results of a COVID-19 test?
- Additionally, all patients have their temperature taken prior to entering the clinic or our Outpatient Infusion Center (OIC).
*Anyone that answers yes to any of the questions will be offered other options outside of coming into the office.
- We offer telemedicine appointments to patients to minimize the need to come in the office if necessary.
- All patients and employees in our office are always required to wear a mask.
- After check-in, in order to avoid crowding in our office lobbies, we will ask the patients to wait in their cars until they are called in for their appointment.
- IDATB staff follows the CDC guidelines for social distancing. Many non-clinical IDATB employees have been setup to work from home. The rest of the staff has been spread out in the office to practice working at a distance of at least 6 feet apart.
- Patients in our Outpatient Infusion Center are spaced out to at least every other infusion chair (at least 6 feet apart). “High Risk” patients are treated in isolated rooms for their infusions.
- Any IDATB team member who is sick or has a member of their household who is sick, is told not to come to work for the safety of patients and other team members.
- Every night, all our offices are “Deep-Cleaned” by our night cleaning staff who have been trained on disinfecting all areas of the office. Throughout the day, IDATB staff cleans and sanitizes all surfaces and handles as well. Additionally, IDATB employees are directed to clean/sanitize their workstations throughout the day: on arrival, after lunch and after breaks.
- All IDATB staff follow the CDC guidelines for handwashing. Additionally, hand sanitizer has been placed throughout the office for patients and employees to use when in office.
- All employees wear gloves for every patient encounter and dispose of the gloves and wash hands after each encounter.
- Employees at the reception desk and/or the check-in/out desks, after touching patients ID, insurance card, credit card, money, or any other item that the patient has touched, will sanitize their hands.
- After each patient encounter, windows in the patient rooms are opened to air out that area. Additionally, IDATB staff open the windows in their offices periodically to increase air circulation.
COVID-19 Vaccine Additional Information:
If you are interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, please click here for more information.
The first COVIDS-19 vaccine has been given emergency use authorization (EUA) and the first vaccinations have begun. When a vaccine is first authorized or approved in the United States, there may not be enough doses available for all adults. Supplies will increase over time, and all adults should be able to get vaccinated by later in 2021. However, a COVID-19 vaccine may not be available for young children until more studies are completed.
The federal government will oversee a centralized system to order, distribute, and track COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccines will be ordered through CDC. Vaccine providers will receive vaccines from CDC’s centralized distributor or directly from a vaccine manufacturer.
Now that there is an authorized and recommended vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in the United States, here are 8 things from the CDC that you need to know about the new COVID-19 Vaccination Program and COVID-19 vaccines.
Please see the CDC website for further information.
The safety of COVID-19 vaccines is a top priority.
The U.S. vaccine safety system ensures that all vaccines are as safe as possible. Learn how federal partners are working together to ensure the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
CDC has developed a new tool, v-safe, as an additional layer of safety monitoring to increase our ability to rapidly detect any safety issues with COVID-19 vaccines. V-safe is a new smartphone-based, after-vaccination health checker for people who receive COVID-19 vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19. Two doses are needed.
You need 2 doses of the currently available COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine that IDATB currently has available requires a second shot 3 weeks after your first shot to get the most protection the vaccine has to offer against this serious disease.
Currently, CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccine be offered to healthcare personnel, residents of long-term care facilities, persons over 75 years of age and those with certain underlying medical conditions.
Because the current supply of COVID-19 vaccine in the United States is limited, CDC recommends that initial supplies of COVID-19 vaccine be offered to healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents.
Learn more about who should be vaccinated first when vaccine supplies are limited.
There is currently a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, but supply will increase in the weeks and months to come.
The goal is for everyone to be able to easily get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as large enough quantities are available. Once vaccine is widely available, the plan is to have several thousand vaccination providers offering COVID-19 vaccines in doctors’ offices, retail pharmacies, hospitals, and federally qualified health centers.
After COVID-19 vaccination, you may have some side effects. This is a normal sign that your body is building protection.
The side effects from COVID-19 vaccination may feel like flu and might even affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Learn more about what side effects to expect and get helpful tips on how to reduce pain and discomfort after your vaccination.
Making COVID-19 Vaccination Recommendations
CDC makes vaccination recommendations, including those for COVID-19 vaccines, based on input from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Cost is not an obstacle to getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
Vaccine doses purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars will be given to the American people at no cost. However, vaccination providers may be able to charge administration fees for giving the shot. Vaccination providers can get this fee reimbursed by the patient’s public or private insurance company or, for uninsured patients, by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fundexternal icon.
The first COVID-19 vaccine is being used under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many other vaccines are still being developed and tested.
Learn more about FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization authorityexternal icon and watch a video on what an EUA is.
If more COVID-19 vaccines are authorized or approved by FDA, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will quickly hold public meetings to review all available data about each vaccine and make recommendations for their use in the United States. Learn more about how CDC is making COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.
All ACIP-recommended vaccines will be included in the U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Program. CDC continues to work at all levels with partners, including healthcare associations, on a flexible COVID-19 vaccination program that can accommodate different vaccines and adapt to different scenarios. State, tribal, local, and territorial health departments have developed distribution plans to make sure all recommended vaccines are available to their communities.
COVID-19 vaccines are one of many important tools to help us stop this pandemic.
It is important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic as we learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions. After vaccination, continue to cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others, stay at least 6 feet away from others, avoid crowds, and wash your hands often.
General COVID-19 Information:
COVID-19 is a new virus that causes respiratory tract infections. Those infected with the virus have usually had recent international travel, returned from a cruise, traveled to areas in the United States with large clusters of infected people or had contact with another person known to be infected with the virus.
The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
In addition, other symptoms have been identified and include:
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Head ache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Some signs that indicated emergency medical treatment should be sought immediately are:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Bluish lips or face
Most people will have a mild illness.
However, some people are at higher risk of getting very sick from this virus. This includes:
- Older adults
- People of any age with the following conditions: chronic kidney disease, heart disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease, impaired immune system, obesity (BMI > 30), and sickle cell disease.
General Precautions:
- Avoid contact with people who are sick
- Get adequate sleep and eat well-balanced meals
- Wash hands often with soap and water-20 seconds or longer. If you don’t have soap and water, use a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol based
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands or after touching surfaces
- Cover your mouth with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing
- Clean and disinfect “high touch” surfaces often
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others
- If you are sick, call before visiting your doctor or going to the hospital
What to do if you are sick:
- Stay home except to get medical care
- Stay in touch with your doctor
- Avoid public transportation, taxis
- Separate yourself from other people and pets
- Avoid sharing personal household items
- Try to stay in a specific room, use a separate bathroom if possible
- If you have to be around others, wear a cloth face covering
- Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day
- Monitor your symptoms including fever, cough or other symptoms
- Follow instructions from your health care provider and local health department
- Call ahead for medical visits or schedule a telemedicine visit
COVID -19 Resources:
- CDC – cdc.gov
- Florida Department of Health – floridahealth.gov
- Florida Department of Health Hillsborough County – hillsborough.floridahealth.gov
To schedule an office or Telemedicine visit, call us at:
Infectious Disease Associates of Tampa Bay
813-251-8444
Visit our website at:
www.idatb.com