WAAY 31 Coronavirus Concerns Q&A: Can you catch the virus in a waiting room?

WAAY 31 Coronavirus Concerns Q&A: How likely are you to catch the virus in a doctor waiting room?

Get to that point.

>> dan shaffer: absolutely.

Annette asks how likely are you to catch the virus by sitting in a doctor's waiting room with someone that does have it?

>> so to get the virus in general, you need to be in close contact with that infected patient and what we think it need to be between five to ten minutes where that patient will be shedding the virus, meaning, you know, coughing.

You know, there's a lot of debate, can be asymptomatic patients can do it but it's really more common in those that have symptoms and can make you prone to it.

>> dan shaffer: are doctors doing something right now to prevent the spread at their offices?

>> so in general what's happening, a lot of the doctors now moving to what they call telehealth in those patients that they can do that, meaning they will get in touch with them through phone or video to check on them, discuss their health issues, and problems. >> dan shaffer: i've got to tell you from personal experience, we had to go to the doctors about three weeks ago and they were checking people before they even got into the waiting room, taking your temperature, asking you a series of questions, where you were traveling to, making sure you're sanitized, checking for symptoms. >> yeah, and that actually in general, the patient need to come to the office, what we've been recommending the day before you call the patient and check.

If they have any symptoms and on the day they come to the office, also give them a questionnaire and ask if they have anything suggestive so you can avoid them exposing other