CMA & COVID-19 Information
Click here for 6 months – 5 Years COVID Vaccine News and Information
We are updating our common questions we have been asked. We will add again soon!
Please give our office a call with any questions, or refer to websites from the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html) and the VA Dept of Health (https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/).
This is an unprecedented time. Our lives have been disrupted, our routines forced to change, schools and sports cancelled, all without a clear end in sight. Our children look to us to help restore a sense of normalcy amongst the chaos, and to provide reassurance and stability. At CMA, we understand that many parents have questions and concerns regarding their children’s health and well-being during these events, and we want to be able to provide a sane, reliable source of information and clinical perspective based on our current knowledge of the Novel Coronavirus.
As the situation continues to evolve, CMA regularly evaluates and alters our daily practice to ensure we maintain our high quality of care. The health and safety of our patients, their families and our staff remain our highest priority.
Changes CMA has implemented given the current pandemic:
- Separating well and sick visits:
• Well visits have been switched to the early part of the day in order to try to ensure that our newborns and healthy patients and parents are minimally exposed to any patients with respiratory illnesses. Because of this, please do not be surprised if you are asked several times – for example when you make your appointments, and again when you arrive – whether anyone in your party has had fever or cough in the past 14 days. Please be honest with us about any symptoms you or your child might be experiencing. We are trying to ensure the safety of our staff, many of whom have young families and other health problems, as well as trying to ensure the safety of our patients and their families.
• Sick visits will be in the afternoon and will be separated by respiratory and non-respiratory complaints. Because our office set up in the Fairfax office is different from that in the Alexandria office, please look for signs directing you to the correct waiting room. If you or your child are experiencing any respiratory symptoms (congestion, fever, cough) – even if that is not the reason for your visit – please wait in the respiratory waiting room.
• If you have a suspicion that you or your child might have Covid-19 (for example, if you have been in contact with someone who has a test pending, or have traveled) then please call us from your car once you arrive so that we can prepare for your arrival. - Where possible, only one parent (and no siblings or other family members) should accompany each patient into the office. We understand that in some cases there may be logistical constraints that limit this option.
- We have removed all toys and books from our waiting rooms and examining rooms and follow CDC and DOH guidelines regarding cleaning the exam rooms between patients.
- We have telemedicine for appropriate conditions.
- 100% mask use is required by staff and patients at all times. We ask that you please be patient with us if things are not as smooth as normal as we work out the kinks in our new system. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out directly to us by phone. Our wonderful and dedicated desk nurses can provide advice and answer questions, and we continue to have provider phone time between 8am and 8:45am each weekday to answer more specific questions pertinent to your child.