News about the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly, but our HTC is doing all we can to care for patients and maintain safe protocols for all. Dr. Mike Wang, our co-director, and the entire staff have been monitoring the situation tirelessly. Please also see his letter of March 13, 2020 now posted on our website. Many changes will occur in the coming days and weeks, especially as national, state, local, campus, and hospital policies are changing daily. We will do our best to keep you updated. Please consider following us on Facebook (facebook.com/ColoradoHTC ) or Twitter (twitter.com/HTCColorado) and sign up for our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bnszoz in order to receive the most updated news. 

Currently the building where the HTC is located is locked 24/7 as is the remainder of the Anschutz Medical Campus except for hospitals. Our HTC staff are alternating from being on-site and off-site, and we are only seeing acute patients from 9 am to 1 pm who are not sick and do not have any respiratory symptoms. These are by appointment only because of limited staff and the need for many layers of screening. Patients needing to be seen must call and schedule a visit, and once at the HTC, must call the pager number posted on the exterior doors to then be allowed inside and be screened for respiratory illness. If you need to be seen more urgently, please discuss with a HTC clinical staff who may instruct you to go to your nearest emergency room. In a life-threatening emergency always call 911. Our world has changed and we must now balance infectious exposure risk individually. 

Please let us know in advance if anyone attending an acute clinic has ANY symptoms of a cold, flu, allergies, or other illness. We will also need to know information about the health status of close contacts. We need to take precautions for both patients and staff, as well as any others visiting our clinic. We are screening all visitors for fever and other symptoms as they arrive. The HTC staff has been working from home and clinic to make sure our patients have reliable health resources. We cannot operate without healthy staff members.   

During this extraordinary time, we know there are a lot of questions and concerns for patients and families. Please follow the local, state, and national guidelines to reduce your chances of exposure or affecting others who may be at risk. Be the best advocate for you and your family, and do your part at this time of national emergency. This includes washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water, maintaining social distancing, avoiding touching your face, and staying home if you are sick. 

The National Hemophilia Foundation still suggests continuing to maintain a week supply of factor medication for hemophilia patients. Pharmaceutical companies who provide factor have sent out updates sharing that there is no interruption to the supply of factor and that there is no need to stockpile as supply chains are functioning normally. If you need medication, please simply call our pharmacy to discuss your situation with us directly. At the moment, no one is suggesting accumulating excess medication. 

A separate issue has also been brought forward recently about whether bleeding and clotting disorders patients are at a higher risk to contract COVID-19. We do not have credible evidence that people with bleeding or clotting disorders are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness, unless they also fit within another established risk group. Please see Health and Wellness Updates from Dr. Valentino on the NHF website. This also has useful links to keep current. There is no evidence that people taking anticoagulants are at an increased risk. Moreover, the WHO and others are not recommending against using NSAIDs at recommended doses. What we have seen, and are learning rapidly, is that we must all do our part to control this pandemic. Social distancing is the most immediate and effective tool that we have. Stated in another way, preventing infection with SARS-CoV-2 ultimately prevents the severe illness of COVID-19 and the spread of the virus in our communities.

Please refer regularly to the HTC webpage, social media, and newsletter for updates on our clinic. More questions? Our phone lines for both clinic and pharmacy continue to be answered and monitored. We are working in an increasingly constricted environment. We are here for you. Please be careful and be safe.
 
Graphic: cdc.gov. Do your part by following the CDC guidelines of regularly washing hands for 20 seconds with soap and water, maintaining social distancing, avoiding touching your face, and staying home if you are sick.
See details at www.coronavirus.gov