by Sarah Thomack
St. Joseph Post
Mosaic Life Care officials say they are prepared to meet the needs of the community as the coronavirus spreads and they learn more about it.
According to Mosaic, six people have met the criteria to be tested for COVID-19 and they are awaiting the results.
As of Tuesday evening, there are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in patients in Mosaic’s health care system.
Mosaic’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mark Laney says Mosaic in St. Joseph is in close contact with the Missouri Department of Health and the CDC as they screen local patients for coronavirus.
“In the past 10 or 12 days, we have screened a number of patients that have either presented to a clinic or to our emergency department with a suspected case," Laney says. "We have the ability to talk to those patients, examine them, having them in the appropriate environment, and then talk with the state health department about whether they are an appropriate candidate for the actual test.”
Laney says Buchanan County was allocated five test kits through the local Health Department and the CDC and the state health department then make the decisions on who needs a test.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Davin Turner says if you have travel history or believe you've come in contact with someone who may have coronavirus symptoms to call your health care provider or the health department to discuss it first.
“Our first case, I really appreciate the way they handled this," Turner says. "They called in advance, we knew they were coming, we were able to direct them to a secure area and direct them into our facility to limit the exposure to our caregivers… we can also protect anybody here in our facility who is waiting, they’re here seeing a loved one or maybe they’re here getting care.”
While there is no medical treatment or vaccine yet, Turner says Mosaic can offer supportive care.
“For a patient that was to test positive, many patients will have symptoms similar to the cold, maybe more severe, maybe even more like the flu, however, they will not require hospitalization and for those patients, we will be recommending that they are at home in isolation, along with their family,” Turner says. “Obviously, if their condition worsens, they can return. It’s only for the sickest of the sick, that we would be placing them in the hospital, those that need supportive care that can be provided here.”
Mosaic does have a special containment area if things were to progress. Turner says there are 24 beds ready, just in case.
As everyone hears more and learns more about COVID-19, Laney encourages preparation over panic.
“There’s nothing that happens that panic helps,” Laney says. “We are very prepared to meet the needs of our community and the story will be told as things evolve. If this virus acts like most flus or most coronaviruses, it’s likely that as the weather warms up and people get outside and are less close together, that we would see a dip in the number of infections at least through the summer months. That would be great timing for America if that’s what happens.”