Medical Facilities Still Treating All Patients, Not Just COVID-19

By James McNary

Articles Editor

Looks can be deceiving, as with restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 put in place by medical facilities across the country, many can appear to be closed or almost empty.

A few individuals are using this as support for their belief that the pandemic is not real, with some going so far as to record themselves trespassing as proof of their assertion.

“Going on a false conspiracy theory, individuals are targeting hospitals and other medical facilities in the U.S. involved in COVID-19 response and care. Using the hashtag #FilmYourHospital, the individuals are posting videos of public areas of hospitals including parking lots, entrances, tents, waiting rooms and interactions with medical staff and security,” said Kaitlyn McConnell, a communications manager with CoxHealth. “The intent of this behavior is to ‘expose’ the COVID-19 pandemic as being not as serious as media, public health and the government are portraying it – which is false.”

“#FilmYourHospital is spreading misinformation about COVID-19. Coronavirus is not a hoax,” said Tamera Heitz-Peek, marketing director for Citizens Memorial Hospital.

McConnell said that a point that these individuals use to support their beliefs is that parking lots are emptier than normal. This can be explained because of visitor restrictions, which reduce the number of people on campus, as well as the elimination of elective surgeries, patients utilizing telemedicine more than ever before, and many individuals thoughtfully staying away from hospitals unless care is needed.

“Patients across the country – including at CoxHealth – are being diagnosed and treated for COVID-19. Entering hospital premises unless seeking treatment puts additional staff and patients at risk for transmission, and hinders the work that health systems are doing to serve the communities that need them,” said McConnell.

Both McConnell and Heitz-Peek said their respective medical organizations, as well as others in the area, remain open for patients experiencing medical emergencies, and are still seeing patients other than those with COVID-19 symptoms.

“It is also important to note that while CoxHealth has made significant changes in recent weeks to care for patients with COVID-19, the health system is still prepared to serve patients with other emergencies or health concerns that arise,” said McConnell.

Separate areas for patients with respiratory symptoms have been set up on various hospital campuses to help protect patients from exposure to COVID-19 and prevent its spread, and all of the resources usually available are still available for those who need care. McConnel and Heitz-Peek both said patients should not avoid seeking medical treatment if it is necessary, regardless of the reason. “Although many parking lots are quieter than normal it doesn’t mean there isn’t activity going on inside hospitals and clinics,” said Heitz-Peek. “We are still open for medical emergencies.”