How Beaufort Co. hospitals are responding to coronavirus spread in South Carolina
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Hospitals in Beaufort County are limiting visitors and encouraging people to call ahead for care as the coronavirus spreads.
Patients seeking care at Beaufort Memorial Hospital and Express Care clinics around Beaufort County are being asked to call ahead rather than show up in person if they have fever and respiratory symptoms, hospital officials said in a news release Wednesday.
“Based on their responses, patients could be asked to report to one of two Express Care locations in Beaufort or Bluffton,” the release says.
Patients are likely to receive rapid influenza and strep tests and, in some cases, may be asked to wait in their cars while the tests are administered and processed.
If both tests are negative, patients will be given a Respiratory Virus Panel (RVP) at the hospital’s emergency department.
RVP tests look for a variety of respiratory illnesses, such as rhinovirus and RSV, according to Lap Corp’s website.
“The call-ahead screening process is designed for patients who meet the high-risk criteria for COVID-19, including travel outside of the U.S. in the past 30 days and fever, cough and shortness of breath,” Sherri Rabon, Beaufort Memorial infection prevention manager, said in the release. “The goal is to decrease the risk of exposure to patients and staff, while providing symptomatic patients with clinical screenings and testing quickly and safely.”
The hospital is following steps encouraged by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and SCDHEC.
“For patient convenience, hospital staff may collect upper and lower airway samples at its emergency department and store them for eventual testing by DHEC and CDC,” the release says. “It is important to note that Beaufort Memorial does not provide COVID-19 testing.”
The hospital is also limiting who can visit its campus. The limitations were put in place last fall “as flu cases surged throughout the community,” the hospital’s website says.
Adults who are experiencing flu-like symptoms, such as runny nose, sore throat and fever, are asked to not to visit patients in the hospital.
Visitors under 18 years old will also not be permitted to visit patients in the hospital.
“These precautions are to prevent further spread of the flu and other viruses, and better enable staff to care for those patients who most need to be in the hospital at this time,” the hospital’s website says.
Hilton Head Hospital
Hilton Head Hospital, located on the island’s north end, said people who report to the hospital will be questioned about their symptoms and travel history.
“We evaluate relevant symptom criteria and implement contact airborne isolation, if required, without delay. Our clinical teams are in constant review of infection prevention processes and update patient screenings as recommended by the CDC,” according to a statement from the hospital.
As at Beaufort Memorial, testing for coronavirus is not conducted at Hilton Head Hospital.
“If a patient presents at our hospital and meets CDC criteria, we work with our local health department and if appropriate, gather a sample for testing and provide it to a CDC appointed laboratory,” the statement said.
