Clearly (especially as Peter Dutton is infected and Scott Morrison didn’t go to the Footy after all) the Coronavirus situation is deteriorating.
While health authorities are providing good information, I do not believe they are acting quickly enough to reduce the risks of Coronavirus in hospitals. In particular I believe all elective surgery should be cancelled forthwith and all non-essential persons (including visitors) should not be entering hospitals.
May I please refer you to my previous advice regarding Coronavirus and pregnancy. This information stands:
- Pregnant women are likely to become sicker than most of the population if they are infected with Coronavirus and being sick can in turn cause problems for their unborn baby.
- Notwithstanding the above Coronavirus does not appear to cross the placenta or be expressed in breast milk or affect the way you should give birth.
However, because of the deteriorating situation and my responsibility to protect my patients, my staff, my medical colleagues and – least importantly – myself there are other things I need to enact immediately.
These are:
- Do not come to my office if you – or anyone with whom you have been in close contact – have been ANYWHERE overseas in the last 14 days.
- Do not come to my office if you – or anyone with whom you have had close contact – has had a cough, a fever, breathing trouble or ANY symptoms of a cold in the last 14 days (it seems many of us mistake Coronavirus for a simple cold).
Ring the office instead.
We will be cancelling or postponing non-essential visits to my office and we will do all we can to replace these with teleconferences or home visits. Obviously some visits, such as those requiring a thorough check of you and your baby will need to continue. We will be in touch.
If you are coming to my office please do not bring your mother, your friend or your nanny. Essential people only please.
Do not go to the hospital for non-essential visits. These include:
- Visiting friends or relatives who are in hospital,
- The “meet the midwife clinic” at POWP,
- Birthing Classes at either hospital, and
- Preadmission visits at either hospital.
- We will find a way to get around these issues.
When you do come to hospital to have your baby please tell your friends and family to stay away. I strongly recommend you go home from hospital as soon as you can, remembering we can provide you with support (e.g. a lactation consultant) at home.
I’m sure some of you will think these precautions are paranoid and premature but we really need to do our bit to try to avoid things escalating to an Italy type situation.
Stay safe
Rob
PS Get your flu and Whooping Cough vaccinations done!