Lawrence General Limits Visitors In Response To Coronavirus

LAWRENCE, MA — Lawrence General Hospital announced visitor limitations Thursday in response to the new coronavirus outbreak. Patients are limited to one adult visitor at a time, and multiple visitors cannot wait together in the waiting area. In addition, visiting hours will be limited to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, and visits to the main campus must come in through the Main Lobby entrance and the Emergency Center entrance.

"Additionally, a patient arriving for an appointment cannot be accompanied by more than one adult," the hospital said. "Visitors must leave the hospital immediately after their visit is complete."

All visitors must be healthy, and all people entering the hospital will be screened. No one with symptoms including fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, fatigue, chills, vomiting or diarrhea will be permitted to enter.

"Laboring patients may have one support person throughout the course of their stay," the announcement continued. "Certain exceptions may be made for those under the age of 18 who are designated parents or legal guardians. Otherwise, visitors under the age of 18 are not permitted."

The hospital had previously announced new coronavirus screening tools for residents concerned about exposure. Residents can call the hospital's hotline or go online and answer questions to determine if they meet testing criteria, they said Wednesday. Nurses staffing both tools can give recommendations on next steps.

The hospital is seeking to reassure the community, Chief of Emergency Medicine George Kondylis said.

“As with any health threat, Lawrence General Hospital wants to reassure the community that care and safety are top priorities,” Kondylis said. “The hospital continues to be vigilant in limiting risk of exposure of any highly contagious disease, including COVID-19.”

“It’s important to keep in mind that the majority of COVID-19 cases nationwide are mild, much like the flu, and only a small percentage of patients will require hospitalization or even a trip to the emergency room,” he continued. "We’ve added these screening tools to provide guidance for those with symptoms to help limit risk of exposing others in the community.”

The two options are:

"BY PHONE: The Lawrence General Hospital COVID-19 (Coronavirus 2019) Community Screening line is staffed by Lawrence General nurses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be reached by calling (978) 946-8409. In an effort to reduce transmission, those with mild respiratory symptoms, fever and cough, are asked to call the screening line prior to seeking a COVID-19 screening at the hospital. Those experiencing severe illness or a medical emergency, in which case they should call 911.

ONLINE: The community can also use Lawrence General's new online screening tool at LawrenceGeneral.org, where they will be prompted to answer several screening questions before being contacted by a nurse for follow-up guidance."

The hospital has also activated its Emergency Preparedness Plan and is closely monitoring the outbreak.

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.