CORONAVIRUS 19

Telehealth Visits at Birmingham Pediatrics

We offer Telemedicine appointments! With the COVID19 outbreak we will be using them more and more to assess your child at home. 

To arrange your telemedicine visit, call the office during business hours or email the provider on call EVEN ON THE WEEKEND. 

A SMARTPHONE, CHROME OR FIREFOX BROWSER IS BEST FOR OUR TELEMEDICINE PLATFORM

FAQS
ABOUT CORONAVIRUS

SHOULD MY CHILD HAVE HER WELL VISIT RIGHT NOW? YES. WE HAVE HOURLY DEEP CLEANING REGIMENS IN PLACE IN ADDITION TO OUR REGULAR SANITIZING BETWEEN PATIENTS. KEEPING YOUR CHILD ON TRACK FOR WELL VISITS IS SAFE AT THIS TIME.

I THINK MY CHILD HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID 19 NOW WHAT?

EXPOSURE TO COVID 19 COUNTS IF YOU HAVE BEEN WITHIN 6 FEET OF SOMEONE FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES. IN OTHER WORDS, PASSING IN THE HALLS AT SCHOOL, BEING AT THE SAME SWIM CLUB, OR EVEN SHARING A 5 MINUTE CAR RIDE ARE NOT ENOUGH EXPOSURE TO WARRANT CONCERN. SET UP A TELEMED VISIT TO DISCUSS YOUR CHILD’S SPECIFIC SITUATION FOR MORE INFO.

MY CHILD WAS SENT HOME FROM CAMP/SCHOOL BECAUSE ANOTHER PERSON HAS COVID, NOW WHAT?

MOST OF THE TIME, YOUR CAMP OR SCHOOL WILL GIVE GUIDANCE ABOUT HOW LONG YOUR CHILD SHOULD BE KEPT HOME (USUALLY 7-10 DAYS). WHETHER OR NOT YOUR CHILD SHOULD BE TESTED IS CASE BASED. SCHEDULE A TELEMED TO DISCUSS. WE CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR TESTING IF NEEDED. TESTING ISN’T VALID UNTIL AT LEAST 5-7 DAYS FROM EXPOSURE SO DON’T RUSH TO AN URGENT CARE FOR TESTING…IT’S TOO SOON.

THE GRANDPARENTS HAVE HAD THE COVID VACCINE. DO WE STILL NEED TO WEAR MASKS WHEN WE SEE THEM?

IT IS SAFEST TO STILL WEAR MASKS WHEN VISITING RELATIVES. ALTHOUGH THE VACCINE IS VERY EFFECTIVE IT IS NOT 100% SO UNTIL EVERYONE IS VACCINATED OR COMMUNITY IMMUNITY INFECTION RATE IS VERY LOW, WEARING MASKS MAKES SENSE. VACCINATED PEOPLE MAY STILL BE ABLE TO HARBOR THE VIRUS WITHOUT SYMPTOMS AND SPREAD IT TO OTHERS SO FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY IT MAKES SENSE TO MASK UP AS WELL.

SHOULD I MAKE TRAVEL PLANS?  

IF YOU ARE TRAVELING TO AN AREA OF THE COUNTRY EXPERIENCING HIGH RATES OF COVID IT IS NOT WISE TO TRAVEL THERE. IT MAY BE BEST TO POSTPONE TRAVEL IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

MY CHILD HAS FEVER AND COUGH, I WANT HIM TESTED FOR COVID19. WHERE CAN I TAKE HIM?

WE SUGGEST YOU CONTACT OUR OFFICE FIRST. WE ARE SCREENING CHILDREN VIA TELEMEDICINE APPOINTMENTS AND CAN HELP YOU DECIDE IF A COVID19 TEST IS RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD. THERE ARE NOW SEVERAL WAYS TO GET TESTING DONE AND WE CAN TALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS IF NEEDED. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO OBTAIN THE TEST IN THE OFFICE IF NEEDED.

CAN I BRING HIM TO THE OFFICE FOR YOU TO CHECK HIM OUT?

YES. PATIENTS WITH FEVER OF 100.4 OR HIGHER CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. THOSE WITH OTHER SYMPTOMS BUT NO FEVER MAY BE DIRECTED TO HAVE A TELEMEDICINE VISIT FIRST IF THEY ARE IN VIRTUAL SCHOOL OR NOT IN DAYCARE. WALK INS ARE SUSPENDED TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN CONTROL THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT.

SHOULD MY CHILDREN VISIT THEIR GRANDPARENTS WHILE THIS OUTBREAK IS GOING ON?

AS LONG AS YOUR CHILD IS HEALTHY, WITHOUT ANY SIGNS OF ILLNESS, AND NOT GOING TO IN PERSON SCHOOL OR DAYCARE VISITING RELATIVES SHOULD BE FINE. WEARING MASKS IS A GOOD IDEA AT ALL TIMES IF YOUR FAMILY IS OUT AND ABOUT.

WHAT CAN I DO TO DECREASE THE CHANCE OF MY KIDS COMING HOME AND SPREADING ILLNESS IN MY HOUSE?

CHILDREN SHOULD WEAR MASKS WHENEVER THEY ARE OUT OF THE HOUSE. DOUBLE MASKING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR SCHOOL AND CLOTH MASKS NEED TO BE CHANGED EVERY DAY (LIKE UNDERWEAR!). HAND WASHING AND MASK WEARING REMAIN THE BEST STRATEGIES.

SHOULD I WEAR A MASK WHEN I AM IN PUBLIC EVEN IF I AM OUTSIDE?

DEFINITELY. WHENEVER YOU ARE INDOORS WITH NON-FAMILY MEMBERS YOU SHOULD BE WEARING A MASK. AND YOU SHOULD WEAR A MASK OUTDOORS WHENEVER YOU WILL BE NEAR A CROWD (AT A BARBECUE, FAMILY PARTY, SPORTS EVENT, ETC). CHILDREN 3 AND OLDER CAN LEARN HOW TO WEAR A MASK AS WELL.  

WHAT ABOUT PLAYDATES? GOING FOR WALKS OUTSIDE? MY OLDER KIDS HANGING OUT TOGETHER WHILE THEY ARE OFF SCHOOL?

ALL OF THESE ARE OK AS LONG AS THE GROUPS ARE SMALL AND THE PEOPLE INVOLVED ARE FEELING WELL AND WEARING MASKS. BEING OUTSIDE IS BEST. PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND MASK WEARING ARE IMPORTANT TO DECREASE RISK IN LARGER GROUPS (INCLUDING FAMILY WHO DON’T LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE). SHORT ERRANDS, SMALL GATHERINGS OF FRIENDS, AND OUTDOOR PLAY DATES CAN ALL STILL HAPPEN, AS LONG AS EVERYONE IS WELL AND MASKED UP!