We are Dedicated to Keeping you Informed and Safe

At Scerbo Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation, our top priority is the health and welfare of our patients and staff. This message is intended to inform our Scerbo PT community about how we are addressing the coronavirus (COVID-19) in our facility.

We share your concerns and would like to underscore our commitment to the safety and well-being of our patients and employees. That is why we are closely monitoring and following updates, guidelines, and recommendations from both the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the World Health
Organization (WHO) regarding the status of the virus and its impact on the community at large.

We remain committed to serving our community and are taking every precaution to safeguard our patients and staff. As always, we will continue to keep our facility clean by:

• Disinfecting all common areas, treatment tables, and equipment throughout the day and after each use
• Screening all current patients for symptoms and exposure
• Adjusting our clinic hours and scheduling of patients to minimize exposure
• Decrease the number of patients in the clinic each hour
• Platooning our clinical staff
• Having each patient wash hands before starting their treatment and making gloves available if requested.
• Ensuring that all staff members continuously disinfect their hands
• Installed multiple air filters with UV sanitizing throughout the clinic
• Providing clean linens (e.g. pillowcases, towels) to all patients and making hand sanitizer readily available
• Scheduling all new patients in April 2020

Additionally, public health authorities including the CDC have advised we screen for possible infection by asking these questions:

1. DOES THE PATIENT HAVE A FEVER OR RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS SUCH AS COUGH OR SHORTNESS OF BREATH?
2. HAS THE PATIENT TRAVELED TO ONE OF THE AFFECTED GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION WITHIN THE LAST 14 DAYS OF SYMPTOMS ONSET?
3. HAS THE PATIENT TRAVELED TO ONE HAS CLOSE CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WITH COVID-19? (CORONAVIRUS)

We ask that if the answer is YES to any of the above questions, please call our office at (201) 941-2240 to reschedule your appointment. Should you arrive at the office and be found to meet any of these criteria, we will kindly ask you to leave the office to prevent exposure to other patients and staff members.

If you have any questions, please call our office and one of our staff members will be happy to assist you.

Here are some additional preventative measures:

Take everyday precautions

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Maintain at least 3 feet distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
  Clean your hands often. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
• If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.
• Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places.
• Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
• Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks & cell phones)
• Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick.

Watch for symptoms and emergency warning signs

• Pay attention to potential COVID-19 symptoms including, fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you feel like you are developing symptoms, call your doctor.
• If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. In adults, emergency warning signs*:

1. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
2. Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
3. New confusion or inability to arouse
4. Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all-inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptom that is severe or concerning.

What to Do if You Get Sick

• Stay home and call your doctor
• Call your healthcare provider and let them know about your symptoms. Tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help them take care of you and keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
• If you are not sick enough to be hospitalized, you can recover at home. Follow CDC instructions for how to take care of yourself at home.
• Know when to get emergency help
• Get medical attention immediately if you have any of the emergency warning signs listed above.

Who Is at Higher Risk?

Older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease seem to be at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness. Early data suggest older people are twice as likely to have serious COVID-19 illness. This may be because:

• As people age, their immune systems change, making it harder for their body to fight off diseases and infection.
• Many older adults are also more likely to have underlying health conditions that make it harder to cope with and recover from illness.
  If a COVID-19 outbreak happens in your community, it could last for a long time. Depending on the severity of the outbreak, public health officials may recommend community actions to reduce exposures to COVID-19. These actions can slow the spread and reduce the impact of the disease.

If you are at increased risk for COVID-19 complications due to age or because you have a severe underlying medical condition, it is especially important for you to take action to reduce your risk of exposure.

Available Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

World Health Organization (WHO)

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

Scerbo Physical Therapy Sports & Rehabilitation Safety Information