Animal hospital makes people wait in parking lot
Dr. John Lindsey is the medical director at VCA Oakwood Animal Hospital in Woodbridge. He has worked as a veterinarian for 28 years, the last seven at the Woodbridge clinic.
He said the biggest change the hospital has seen due to the coronavirus pandemic is that all the clients stay in their cars, while the staff will fetch the animal and bring it inside.
“I joke with people that this is our waiting room now,” Lindsey said as he gestured at the parking lot.
He said the current arrangement works really well, because the clients can keep their distance.
“And we know that the cats and dogs don’t carry the COVID on their skin, so they’re safe to bring in, and we can do what we need to do and it keeps everybody safe,” Lindsey said.
Staff also brings prescriptions out to the parking lot, and are able to process payment in the parking lot, too.
Lindsey is diligent about safety and makes every effort to avoid exposure to the virus. He social distances, wears a mask and regularly washes his hands.
“I am trying to take all the precautions to keep it away. My wife is kind of in the high-risk category, and so I don’t want to bring it home.”
When he gets home, he take his clothes off in the laundry room and leaves them there in a bag until they are laundered.
With recent reports about a few cats testing positive for the coronavirus, he recommends that if you do come down with the virus that you separate yourself from your animals.
“What we know so far about it, is they can get mildly ill from it, but all indications are no pets can transmit COVID back to people. So our animals are safe.”