MEMPHIS, Tenn. — WREG got an inside look at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Hospital’s coronavirus screening process Friday.
Dr. Jeff Harris, medical director of Methodist University’s emergency department, says everyone who walks through the front doors of every Methodist hospital will be asked about their travel history.
“Every patient has the signage that says if you’ve had international travel or if you have any reason to suspect you’ve been exposed, notify staff immediately,” Harris said.
Harris says if a patient feels they may have been exposed, the hospital will send the patient to an isolated area for additional screening. If someone showed positive results, they would be placed in an isolation room for further monitoring.
“Someone that needed a respiratory support would stay in an respiratory isolation room their entire time at the hospital,” Harris said.
Harris says there are isolation rooms in every Methodist hospital. They look just like any other hospital room and contain all the same equipment. The only difference would be the lower air pressure.
“So, this room has high-efficiency filters that take the air and filter it,” Harris said.
He says patients wouldn’t notice a difference in pressure. However, they would have minimal physical contact with the outside world until their results improved.
Harris says this is all a part of their protocol, but they are constantly looking for new ways to prepare for the worse.
“We’ve been talking about this for weeks of what do we need to do to our preparedness plans to be ready for a potential outbreak locally,” Harris said.
Harris says, just like any other virus, the coronavirus can be prevented by practicing good hygiene.
Baptist Hospitals says they also have isolation rooms similar to the ones at Methodist hospitals.