Cape Cod Coronavirus: Triage Tents Set Up At Hospitals

FALMOUTH, MA — Cape Cod Healthcare has set up "triage" tents outside hospitals in case it sees an increase in patients amid the spread of the new coronavirus. CEO Michael Lauf said the tents, along with COVID-19 testing sites opening at Cape Cod Community College, are important parts of the hospitals' efforts to control the spread of the virus.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the best way is to not expose people to them (those with symptoms)," Lauf said. "We will do the triage in those tents to avoid exposing them to other illnesses."

Visitors will also no longer be allowed at any of Cape Cod Healthcare's facilities, including Cape Cod Hospital and Falmouth Hospital except under special circumstances. Thos exceptions include end of life, maternity deliveries and one parent or legal guardian per minor child who is a patient.

As for the testing sites, they opened Tuesday and will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., everyday. Hospital officials said the tests are free, but require people to have symptoms and a physician order from their primary care doctor or an urgent care facility to get tested.

Testing priority is based on a need-based system with the following criteria:

• Travel related issues (i.e. visiting China, Italy, etc.)
• Having lower respiratory symptoms such as cough, sneezing and other flu-like symptoms
• Age. The older a patient is, the more at risk they are to have a negative outcome with the virus.
• Cancer, diabetes and other health complications
• Immune system complications

"These testing capabilities will allow Cape Cod Healthcare to address a critical need to identify and slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community," Lauf said. "This is an unprecedented public health issue and it requires the attention and support of the entire community."

More about the Coronavirus:

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, 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.

As of Sunday, there were 165 cases of coronavirus in Massachusetts.

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The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now being transmitted 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 and no antiviral treatment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way of to prevent the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and 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 if you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.