Catching flu from doctors office or ER

amother

Green

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 6:24 am

I have a great idea. All flu related doctor visits and emergency room visits should be channelled to special flu centers. And regular dr visits and ER visits for things like broken bones don’t need to be fraught with fear and worry over catching the flu.

My baby was having trouble breathing and I was hesitating to bring him to the ER because of fear of flu. In the end I brought him to my dr instead who was able to help.

It shouldn’t be this way. Emergency rooms shouldn’t be a hotbed of flu germs. How many people are hesitating to bring their child for care because of fear of flu?
The recent thread of a mother hesitating to bring her child to the dr reminded me of my experience.

amother

Seagreen

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 7:22 am

I can’t imagine which healthcare workers would willingly staff that clinic. I’m in healthcare, and you couldn’t pay me enough money to work solely with flu patients.

simba

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 7:26 am

I am nursing a bad cough and cold for a few days now and don't want to go get checked out because I am scared to pick up the flu at the Dr.'s office.
Maybe I am the one with the flu!

LittleDucky

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 9:27 am

Nice idea but:
Do nurses get hazard pay?
Where would this happen? Wouldn’t there be too much confusion? You can’t turn away someone who has a life threatening illness like a heart attack. So if the ER at hospital A is solely flu cases what happens if a stroke pulls up?
How about if you are sick don’t leave your home. Google express groceries or pay a neighbor to drop it off at your doorstep. Everyone get vaccinated because even though it’s only 10% effective it still makes it a lesser flu than without any vaccine.
Also, everyone should wash their hands consistently especially if you use public transit, after grocery shopping with those carts...

yogabird

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 9:48 am

Emergency rooms and doctors offices should really have separate waiting rooms for people with contagious illnesses and people coming in for other reasons. And yes, the people with contagious stuff should be isolated from each other too. This is standard practice in some ERs, not sure why it's not implemented in all waiting rooms.

amother

Seagreen

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 9:55 am

yogabird wrote:

This works, but only to a point. My pediatrician’s office has a sick waiting room. But you still have strep in a room with pneumonia, the 2 strains each of Flu A and B, measles, or whatever illnesses are currently going around. Being sick doesn’t immunize you from getting something else. Plus just because the waiting rooms are different, doesn’t mean that the office has separate wings. Airborne illnesses have a way of traveling, even if you are careful. You could get flu from an improperly cleaned room, the bathroom, the air in the hallway, and so on. Healthcare people wear masks to protect themselves in these environments. If regular people did this too, we’d have a lot less going around.

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 5:19 pm

I've seen doctor's offices ask for patients to wear masks if they have any signs of a respiratory illness. Urgent care clinics too. I can't remember if I have seen this in ERs as well (B"H we're not frequent visitors!)

yogabird

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 8:13 pm

amother wrote:

I said sick patients should be isolated from each other too.

Hashem Yaazor's idea of asking ppl with respiratory symptoms to wear masks is great and easy to implement.

exam tables and equipment should be sanitized between patients.

amother

Wheat

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 9:24 pm

[quote="Hashem_Yaazor"]I've seen doctor's offices ask for patients to wear masks if they have any signs of a respiratory illness. Urgent care clinics too. I can't remember if I have seen this in ERs as well (B"H we're not frequent visitors!)[/offic]

My doctors office has this in the waiting room.

Bnei Berak 10

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 12:34 am

The only way is to try to build up your bodys immune system and to do vaccination. And being very strict with hand hygiene as well as your child's. Channelling to special flu centers. Sure. The day hell freezes.

notshanarishona

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 3:24 am

There r a lot of worse more contagious things than the the flu in the average e.r. waiting room . Not sure how isolating the flu would help. I would just not sit next to anyone , if possible, and wife off my chair with a wipe, etc. (Take good germ measures).
Yes, sick people should mostly stay home but u can't fault people from going to the doctor!! That's being responsible.

amother

Babyblue

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 3:28 am

simba wrote:

I am nursing a bad cough and cold for a few days now and don't want to go get checked out because I am scared to pick up the flu at the Dr.'s office.
Maybe I am the one with the flu!

Please go!

amother

Smokey

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 8:33 am

We can all be exposed anywhere, especially before others show symptoms, so don't know how helpful this idea is. Every time you press and elevator button, push a door open, stand/ sit in close proximity to others (think subway, check-out lines, crowded restaurants and yes, waiting rooms) you're at risk.

If kids have a cold, just let it run its course. The doctor can't do anything. But if you suspect infection or flu it would be ridiculous to not get the attention you need out of fear.

That said, I stopped letting my kids sit in the "sick kids" waiting room for the pediatrician years ago. I go in, buzz at the window, tell them we and that we will be waiting outside. Ok, it helps that I live in FL and we don't freeze outside waiting. But I am always concerned that my kids will get something worse than what they came in with so this is what we do.

amother

Wine

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 1:37 pm

This is exactly why everyone should be vaccinated. Less people will have the flu, but you're more or less protected even if they do. Babies under 6 months can't be vaccinated, but that's why it's so important for the general population to be vaccinated -to protect those who can't be vaccinated.