» Lake health officials say call first before visiting any facility,

‘Phone triage’ also protects others from having to self-quarantine, specialist says

With multiple cases of novel coronavirus continuing to be confirmed in Northeast Ohio, the Lake County General Health District and Lake Health are recommending that individuals who may have symptoms or suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19 call first before seeking care at any health care facility.

According to Dino DiSanto, vice president of marketing and government affairs for Lake Heath, calling first will provide health care professionals opportunities to screen for possible symptoms without putting others at risk of infection.

As always, in case of a medical emergency, individuals should call 911.

Dr. David Hutt, Lake Heath infectious disease specialist, added the “phone triage” also protects others from having to self-quarantine.

“We strongly discourage people showing up at physician offices or any other health care facility for testing without calling first,” Hutt said.

According to Lake Health, symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and difficulty breathing. If you are showing symptoms of COVID-19, have traveled to an infected region or have been in contact with an individual who has traveled to an infected region, you should contact your doctor’s office before arriving at any health care facility.

Afterward, a doctor’s office can help give instructions on how to get the needed care and determine if the patient meets the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Ohio Department of Health guidelines for testing based on symptoms, travel, and exposures.

Those who do meet the criteria will be advised as to how to proceed with testing.

“We will be working side by side with our partners to ensure that our health care system is used appropriately to prevent our health care providers from becoming overwhelmed,” said Lake County Health Commissioner Ron Graham. “I am confident our county will work together to protect our community and having a partner like Lake Health in our backyard is a blessing.

“We will use our collective resources to ensure our success.”

Currently, Lake Health testing is guided by criteria suggested by ODH and CDC. The Lake County General Health District does not test for COVID-19.

“As this situation changes, we will continue to evolve our testing procedures,” DiSanto said, adding the majority of COVID-19 patients will be able to recover at home. “Only a small percentage of patients, such as older adults, people with chronic health conditions and those with compromised immune systems, will require hospitalization.”

To that point, DiSanto added that Lake Health is restricting visitor access to the facility, allowing only two individuals at a time — “as of now” — to enter. Visitors 17 years of age and younger are also not permitted into the hospital. All visitors will be screen tested for COVID-19 symptoms.

“Depending how this play out, visitation could become even more restrictive,” DiSanto said. “It’s essential we stop the spread. We’re also being prudent with our supplies because of the pandemic.”

As the COVID-19 situation evolves daily, the most up-to-date information can be found on the CDC and ODH websites.

The Ohio Department of Health also set up a COVID-19 Call Center for those with questions and concerns. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and can be reached at 833-427-5634.