>>> AND WE’RE BACK WITH MORE OF WITH YOU TODAY.
WE’RE ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS
AND YOU’VE GOT A LOT OF THEM
ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS.
THIS IS A COLLABORATION WITH
FACEBOOK.
FACEBOOK. A LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING
ABOUT WELLNESS, HEALTH ISSUES.
JOINING US BY FACETIME IS NBC
NEWS MEDICAL CONTRIBUTOR DR.
NATALIE AZAR.
NATALIE AZAR. DR. NATALIE, GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
YOU. >> HI, SAVANNAH, HOW ARE YOU?
>> GOOD.
>> GOOD. IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU ACROSS THE
AIRWAVES.
AIRWAVES. OUR FIRST QUESTION IS FROM LAURA
ON FACEBOOK.
ON FACEBOOK. SHE SAYS WHAT ABOUT DOCTOR
APPOINTMENTS LIKE ANNUAL EYE
DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS OR ROUTINE
FOLLOW-UP VISITS, SHOULD THOSE
ARE RESCHEDULED?
ARE RESCHEDULED? I’D ADD DENTAL VISITS TO THAT AS
WELL.
WELL. >> WE CAN ADD THAT.
PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT
OFFICES ARE DOING THEIR BEST
RIGHT NOW TO STAY OPEN.
A LOT OF THEM ARE PROBABLY GOING
TO HAVE TO REDUCE HOURS AND EVEN
CONSOLIDATE PRACTICES, JUST
LONGISTICALLY.
LONGISTICALLY. I THINK FOLKS WITH NONURGENT
CONCERNS OR BUSINESS, YOU NEED
TO REACH OUT TO HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS TO FIND UTE WHAT THEIR
ABILITIES ARE FOR VIRTUAL CARE,
ONLINE CARE AND TELEPHONE OFFICE
FOLLOW-UPS.
FOLLOW-UPS. FOR EXAMPLE, IN OUR PRACTICE
WE’RE GETTING THAT UP AND
RUNNING AS OF TOMORROW.
EVERYBODY IS GETTING TRAINED ON
THAT.
THAT. SO AGAIN, URGENT VISITS, THAT’S
A DIFFERENT STORY.
OBVIOUSLY FEVER AND COUGH.
WE DON’T WANT YOU COMING IN
PHYSICALLY TO THE DOCTOR’S
OFFICE.
OFFICE. BUT A LOT OF PRACTICES ARE
REALLY STARTING TO DO THIS
VIRTUAL CARE.
VIRTUAL CARE. A LOT OF MY ANSWERS ARE ACTUALLY
GOING TO BE THE DECISION MIGHT
BE MADE FOR YOU.
WE JUST GOT A MESSAGE FROM OUR
ORTHODONTIST PRACTICE YESTERDAY
THEY ARE RESCHEDULING ALL
NONURGENT APPOINTMENTS.
NONURGENT APPOINTMENTS. SO TO THE DENTAL QUESTIONS,
REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING, THE
AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION HAS
GUIDANCE FROM CDC.
PEOPLE DO NEED TO REMEMBER THAT
DISPOSABLE ITEMS ARE JUST THAT.
THEY ARE DISPOSED OF.
DENTISTS AND HYGIENISTS DO WEAR
PPE, AND NONDISPOSABLE ITEMS ARE
STERILIZED BETWEEN PATIENTS.
PEOPLE MAY FIND DENTIST OFFICES
WILL RESCHEDULE FOR ROUTINE
PROCEEDINGS.
PROCEEDINGS. >> MAYBE JUST EMERGENCY DENTAL
PROCEDURES.
PROCEDURES. HERE IS A QUESTION FROM BRIAN ON
FACEBOOK.
FACEBOOK. >> HELLO.
>> HELLO. THIS IS BRIAN FROM WASHINGTON
STATE.
STATE. I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS WHAT
THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS OR
REQUIREMENTS TO HAVE DENTAL WORK
DONE.
DONE. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> MAYBE YOU’VE ALREADY ANSWERED
IT.
IT. >> I THINK WE PROBABLY ANSWERED
IT.
IT. FOR ROUTINE CLEANINGS MIGHT BE
RESCHEDULED AT THIS POINT BUT
PEOPLE SHOULD FEEL CONFIDENT
DENTISTS AND HYGIENISTS DO
FOLLOW PROPER CONTROL PROCEDURE.
>> RUBY ASKS, IS IT OKAY TO
SCHEDULE A MAJOR SURGERY FOR
MAY.
MAY. >> THIS WILL PROBABLY DIFFER
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
WE ALL KNOW HERE IN THE CITY
THAT THE MAYOR HAS REQUIRED THAT
ALL ELECTIVE SURGICAL PROCEDURES
ARE POSTPONED.
ARE POSTPONED. MY PARTICULAR HOSPITAL, THE
DEFINITION OF ELECTIVE IS THAT
BOTH THE PHYSICIAN AND THE
PATIENT FEEL THAT IT CAN BE
SAFELY POSTPONED FOR
APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS.
IF EITHER-OR BOTH FEELS
DIFFERENTLY, THEN THE SURGERY
CAN CONTINUE OR GO AS SCHEDULED.
AGAIN, THIS GUIDANCE MIGHT
CHANGE FROM A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS
BUT IN GENERAL WE ARE
RECOMMENDING TO POSTPONE
ELECTIVE PROCEDURES BECAUSE ORs
CAN BE REPURPOSED INTO INTENSIVE
CARE UNITS, WHICH AS WE’VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT, WE’RE CONCERNED
WE’LL HAVE A POTENTIAL SHORTAGE
OF.
OF. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS CAROL ON
INSTAGRAM.
INSTAGRAM. >> I WAS AMONG VERY LARGE CROWDS
THIS WEEKEND.
THIS WEEKEND. IS IT OKAY FOR ME TO DROP
GROCERIES OFF TO MY 85-YEAR-OLD
FATHER.
FATHER. I WOULD LEAVE THEM IN HIS GARAGE
AND NOT SEE HIM.
I ASK THIS BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE
TOUCHED THE GROCERIES.
IF I AM POTENTIALLY CARRYING
ANYTHING, CAN HE BE EXPOSED BY
RECEIVING THEM?
RECEIVING THEM? >> THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION AND
I ANSWERED HER ON INSTAGRAM LAST
NIGHT.
NIGHT. I THINK IT’S A WONDERFUL IDEA.
I THINK IN GENERAL COMMUNITIES
NEED TO BE MAKING SURE THAT OUR
SENIORS ARE TAKEN CARE OF, AND
FOOD DELIVERY IS GOING TO BE ONE
OF THOSE THINGS.
I WOULD JUST SAY TO DAD WHEN YOU
BRING IT INSIDE, WASH EVERYTHING
THOROUGHLY.
THOROUGHLY. WASH HIS HANDS BEFORE CONSUMING
ANY OF THE FOOD.
REMEMBER, WE TALK ABOUT THIS
SURVIVAL OF VIRUSES ON SURFACES.
WE DON’T THINK THAT’S THE MAJOR
MODE OF TRANSMISSION, IT IS
RESPIRATORY DROPLETS PRIMARILY.
AGAIN, IF THE PERSON DROPPING
OFF WANTS TO WEAR GLOVES,
OBVIOUSLY THAT’S A GOOD IDEA BUT
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE
OF OUR SENIORS.
I THINK THAT’S SAFER THAN GOING
TO THE GROCERY STORE HIMSELF.
>> DEFINITELY.
>> DEFINITELY. HE CAN WASH HIS HANDS, TOO.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> WE’VE GOT ONE MORE WITH
ANGELA ON INSTAGRAM.
>> MY NAME IS ANGELA.
I’M WONDERING HOW LONG THE
CORONAVIRUS LIVES ON FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES AND HOW ARE WE
SUPPOSED TO WASH THEM WHEN WE
GET THEM HOME FROM THE STORE TO
MAKE SURE THE VIRUS IS KILLED.
>> THIS IS A QUESTION WE’VE BEEN
GETTING A LOT THE LAST COUPLE OF
WEEKS.
WEEKS. FOR THE MOST PART -- NOT FOR THE
MOST PART, FOR THE TIME BEING
THERE IS NO CONCERN THAT THE
VIRUS HAS AFFECTED OUR FOOD
SOURCES.
SOURCES. WITH FRESH PRODUCE ESPECIALLY,
WASHING AND SCRUBBING FOR AT
LEAST 20 SECONDS, JUST LIKE WE
WOULD DO OUR HANDS, IS, OF
COURSE, IMPORTANT.
COURSE, IMPORTANT. THAT’S NOT JUST FOR THE
CONSIDERATION OF CORONAVIRUS,
THAT’S FOR ANY FOOD-BORNE
ILLNESS.
ILLNESS. NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO PRACTICE
THOSE MANEUVERS OR THINGS WE’VE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR YEARS AND
WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE YOU EAT
TO COOK THINGS THOROUGHLY.
THAT’S REALLY THE GUIDANCE WE
CAN GIVE RIGHT NOW.
IF THAT CHANGES AND ANYTHING IS
AFFECTED IN OUR FOOD SUPPLY WE
WILL FIND OUT AND GUIDANCE WILL
CHANGE.