Those "screening questions" they ask are nothing more than security theater. At this point I assume that nowhere is safe.
I JUST got back from a non-urgent doctor visit to Scripps Outpatient Clinic in LaJolla.
There was drive thru CV19 testing in the parking lot (by appointment only).
For urgent care patients, they had folding chairs set out under tents outside, 6 feet apart (all were empty).
For me, I had to call from my car to check in, wait in my car in the parking lot, and then go in when they called me back. And they're not collecting co-pays on site - they're billing for them.
Masks required. Gloves optional. They asked the usual questions (Fever? Cough? Flu or Cold symptoms?) And then they asked if I have left the country in the last 14 days. WTF? The borders are closed and no one is traveling internationally!
Further to what @lovendures is saying - they SHOULD ask if I've been out of town to L.A. or AZ, or if I've been "in large outdoor crowds" (i.e., marches) in the last 14 days, or even if I've been to a bar or beach (crowded here already - out of staters are starting to flow in - no offense @lovendures!)
I was surprised they weren't taking temps - they said when I booked they would check temps of everyone with one of those no-touch thermometers or forehead strips or something. Nope. They should - because people DO lie.
As for me, I'm considering having a minor outpatient surgery that I have put off for over a decade - my right foot. I took pains to ask the surgeon which facility he does them in and whether any of the staff rotates in from the actual hospital, including ICU and COVID units. He had the right answer - NO, the ambulatory surgery staff do not cross paths with hospital staff.
I figure it's best to do it now, while my husband is around (3 weeks of non-weight-bearing followed by 6 of limited weight bearing), and while there are still some extra precautions in place and before the second pandemic wave hits. I had surgery at the same center a year ago, for my sinuses, and I was impressed with the facility and the staff and I have full confidence in them. Also, I figure the way things are going, I'm more at risk running errands than in an actual medical facility (in which there are no COVID patients).
THOUGHTS?
Here are my thoughts.
First, they didn't check your temp? Mine has been checked at each appointment so far. Odd.
I think I would do it now if it is important to you. California is just getting back to business. Arizona hospitals are thinking of once again canceling elective surgeries because of increased covid cases. California may follow suit soon if their numbers continue to increase. You likely will have staff being extra careful which I think you will appreciate.
Is this an out patient procedure? If not, does this matter to you?
It's definitely out-patient, in an ambulatory surgery center that is in a different building than where all inpatients, COVID or otherwise, would be.
It's an extreme way of putting myself in lockdown for a couple of months, LOL
I feel like we are definitely in a lull, or the "eye" of the pandemic storm. Lots of people are letting their guards down or telling themselves that we have this thing under control. And it's not just the caricature of Fox-watching minions who are falling into this trap. Lots of intelligent, well-read people believe we're in the clear. The arrival of summery weather and the approach of the Solstice can explain this new lax attitude - warm weather and lots of sunlight have powerful psychological effects. But, more importantly, dealing with fundamental discontinuities is not part of our globalized culture's "operating system." We function based on assumptions of linearity, and COVID-19 is an unknown variable that is throwing a wrench into society's machinery.
I'm reminded of the position of the Fool in the yes/no Tarot spread Jeanne did for the pandemic. The Fool showed up in the "yes" quadrant next to the Wheel of Fortune in response to the question of whether the pandemic would abate soon. I expect that by August or September, the collective alarm will start spiking again.
Yes, do the surgery now while things are relatively quiet.
My mother passed away a couple of months ago and my siblings and I are starting to worry that we will never be able to hold her memorial service the way she wanted. (We had a small private interment with just the handful of family members there who could get there by driving.) We are scattered coast to coast and some family members would need to fly to get to the service location.
Sorry, this is such a small thing compared to other issues being discussed.
This is not a small thing at all. This is a huge thing for your family. I don't know in which state your memorial will take place. Is it in a state where the Covid numbers are rising or falling? How do family members feel about getting on an airplane? In my church tradition, 40 day memorials and 1 year memorials are big deals. Would your family be willing to meet together for the year memorial and make that special?
I am so sorry you are trying to navigate this difficult time while the pandemic is here, it makes things so much more challenging. You might not be able to please everyone, but I truly believe your mom understands the challenges you face. It is ok to make adjustments. She loves you.
This is not a small thing at all. This is a huge thing for your family. I don't know in which state your memorial will take place. Is it in a state where the Covid numbers are rising or falling? How do family members feel about getting on an airplane? In my church tradition, 40 day memorials and 1 year memorials are big deals. Would your family be willing to meet together for the year memorial and make that special?
I am so sorry you are trying to navigate this difficult time while the pandemic is here, it makes things so much more challenging. You might not be able to please everyone, but I truly believe your mom understands the challenges you face. It is ok to make adjustments. She loves you.
Thank you for your kindness.
The family member who lives the furthest and would most need to fly is a sibling who is taking Covid extremely seriously for valid personal health-related reasons. I have no idea at what point if ever they will feel safe on an airplane.
Another sibling has expressed the thought that we have up to a year from the date of death, which I don't disagree with, but there is an expiration date on memorials or so it seems to me. We've already lost the emotional experience of gathering immediately after the loss. The longer this is postponed, the less it will feel "right," or normal. There are also timing issues with various family members and work obligations or school, which will get significantly more complicated if this is postponed beyond the summer as seems likely at this point.
I am confident my mother would expect us all to use the common sense she did her best to instill in us. She was a realist, and we all recognize that. We don't feel that we have betrayed her wishes; any dismay or sadness about postponing or altering her memorial is for us, not her. But that doesn't make it less sad.
@2ndfdl I’m so very sorry about the loss of your mom. No, it’s not a small thing no matter what’s going on in the world. This is a huge part of YOUR world and it’s good and necessary to acknowledge it as that. Hugs and peace to you and your family. We are in strange, hard times. Peace ☮️ ❤️
@lovendures I agree with you regarding the memorial. I work at a church and we have had to become creative because we want and need to give families their time to participate in the process of grieving and closure. We’ve had zoom meetings so distant relatives could attend. We’ve also had requests for private recordings and then a link to utube could be distributed to family members. There are ways to restrict access to just those who need it. Even when the restrictions loosen people may be hesitant to fly or gather in that way, especially if you have older family members and friends. Nothing will be as it was at least for a while. Our loved ones know we love them and that’s all that really matters. Their burdens are no longer, they are free. Peace ☮️