Coronavirus (COVID-19) Precautions

Last updated Dec. 31, 2020

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase, you probably have a lot of questions about coronavirus vaccines. Are they safe? Can you still get infected with COVID-19 if you've been vaccinated? How soon will you be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine and get back to some semblance of a normal life? When can cancer patients get vaccinated?

For answers to these COVID-19 vaccine questions and more, we spoke with our chief medical executive , infectious diseases specialist and head of Internal Medicine , and infectious diseases and infection control specialist Elizabeth Frenzel, M.D.

Why are health care workers receiving the COVID-19 vaccines before patients?

Tereffe: As vaccine production ramps up, there will be a limited number of doses available.

Federal and state guidelines require that, as long as vaccine supply is limited, the vaccine must be available to health care workers first. MD Anderson’s initial vaccination clinics will safely and efficiently vaccinate health care workers caring for highly immune compromised patients, those with increased risk of occupational exposure, those that support patient care and others who meet eligibility.

When will MD Anderson offer the COVID-19 vaccines to patients?

Tereffe:  People receiving treatments that weaken the immune system – such as chemotherapy for cancer – were not included in many of the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Since there are limited data on the safety of the vaccines in cancer patients, MD Anderson is doing careful due diligence before issuing recommendations and offering the vaccine to our patients, many of whom are immune suppressed or receiving treatment for cancer. Once our recommendations for cancer patients are finalized, we will share that information directly with patients through MyChart, as well as on our website and social media channels. Your care team will be able to give you information so you can make an informed choice about vaccination.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnWe are also preparing vaccine distribution plans for our patients who are eligible and wish to receive the vaccine from us once we are able to offer it. Once these plans are finalized, we will share this information with patients and caregivers, and provide assistance with scheduling vaccination appointments.

Please know we continue to actively review all of the latest evidence on COVID-19 vaccines in order to make the best recommendations for our patients.

It’s important to continue taking precautions such as wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and washing your hands frequently, even after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These precautions will be necessary until public health experts advise otherwise.

Will people who’ve recovered from COVID-19 be able to get vaccinated?

Frenzel: Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnSince reinfection is a possibility, vaccination is expected to provide added protection for those who’ve recovered from COVID-19. However, you should wait to get vaccinated until your symptoms of infection have resolved and you have completed the quarantine period recommended by the CDC. In addition, if you received monoclonal antibody therapy or convalescent plasma to treat your COVID-19 infecton, you should wait 90 days after receiving those treatments to be vaccinated.

After symptomatic infection, natural immunity appears to persist for at least 3 months. Therefore you could choose to defer vaccination for 90 days if you desire. If your infection was asymptomatic, it should not factor into your decision to be vaccinated since you may not have effective immunity.

How do the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work?

Tweardy: Our cells use messenger RNA (mRNA) to produce the various proteins our bodies need to function. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both use an mRNA sequence that codes for the unique spike protein on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Once a person receives the vaccine, their cells take up that mRNA sequence and produce the COVID-19 spike protein. Their immune system then detects those proteins as foreign and creates antibodies against them, which helps provide protection from future COVID-19 infections.

Currently, both of these vaccines require two doses given a few weeks apart to be effective.

What are the other types of coronavirus vaccines being developed?

Tweardy:Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần There are three other types being developed that are in the lead. One involves deactivated virus. Another type uses a carrier virus (such as an adenovirus) containing the part of the coronavirus’ DNA that encodes the spike protein. And another type uses a single protein from the tip of the spikes that cover the coronavirus and allow it to bind to and infect human cells.

The type that uses deactivated virus is the most old-fashioned and the least sophisticated. It involves injecting people with virus that’s been inactivated (or made harmless) through heat or some other means. This causes a very broad immune response in the recipient, but not necessarily the one you want.

The carrier virus method targets the really important part of the virus — the protein spikes that stick up like little maces all over its surface — instead of the virus as a whole. It prompts the body to generate the spike protein itself. Once that happens, the immune system recognizes it as an invader and starts developing antibodies against it. So, when the real coronavirus comes along, these antibodies can shut it down. This is the strategy that most of the vaccine makers are pursuing right now. 

The last type of coronavirus vaccine involves injecting people with the spike protein itself, instead of pushing their bodies to generate it.

All three of these last approaches have been used successfully, based on the studies done so far. The last one is just not quite as far along in testing as the RNA and carrier approaches are.

What makes the RNA-approach so different from that of previous vaccines?

Tweardy: This is the first time this type of technology has ever been used for a vaccine. And the speed at which it is being developed is truly mind-boggling.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnRemember, this particular coronavirus was virtually unknown in November 2019. The actual syndrome caused by it was only first described in December 2019. A month later, scientists had isolated the virus and sequenced its genome. That’s something that used to take a full year or more. Two months later, we had the first COVID-19 vaccine candidates. Four months after that, some were already in Phase III clinical trials. And we’ll have a coronavirus vaccine available to health care workers in December 2020.

We’re living through a modern scientific miracle. Vaccines have not been developed at this speed before. Vaccine development usually takes 10 to 15 years after the identification of a new infectious disease. I’ve been working in infectious diseases for 40 years, and I never would’ve thought it was possible.

Could this same mRNA vaccination method be used again against future coronaviruses?

Tweardy: Absolutely. This strategy has the capacity to almost let us anticipateXổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần the next strain of coronavirus so we can be prepared for it, kind of like we do now with the flu.

We could sequence the next coronavirus that’s identified as distinct and separate from this one in a month or less. Once we had that, we could insert the sequence of its spike protein into every step of the vaccine development pathway. That could get us another vaccine for testing within three months.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnWith this family of coronaviruses, that could potentially allow us to have a vaccine ready before the next one even becomes a pandemic. So theoretically, we could stop the next pandemic in its tracks.

Are the coronavirus vaccines safe?

Tweardy:Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần Yes. I think anyone who gets a coronavirus vaccine that has received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can have confidence that it will be safe, and that the benefits of being vaccinated will outweigh the risks. Otherwise, it wouldn’t receive an EUA. The FDA has been looking at this very carefully, and each vaccine has had to be tested on a lot of people to get authorized for emergency use.

COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus similar to SARS and MERS, and researchers were able to build upon previous work creating vaccines for these diseases as they searched for a vaccine against COVID-19. mRNA has been studied for many years in relation to the study of infectious diseases and as an area of opportunity in cancer treatment.

COVID-19 is the third in a series of coronaviruses. After SARS and MERS, we understand the pathogenesis and early aspects of immunity and have learned from those experiences and taken that knowledge to target the weak spot of coronaviruses.

Even more closely watched than the efficacy of the vaccines in the clinical trials is the safety of the participants. For the FDA to consider an application for emergency authorization of a vaccine, more than half of the people enrolled must have been monitored for at least two months. Preliminary data shows the observed side effects are very similar to the flu vaccine, such as pain at the injection site and fatigue.

The FDA’s vaccine advisory committee comprises experts in medicine and research who meet to review the request for EUA of a vaccine, and these experts evaluate the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. Clinical trial participants will continue to be followed even after any EUAs are granted.

Is it safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine if you're pregnant or breastfeeding?

Frenzel: Safety data isn't yet available on vaccine-associated risks during pregnancy or the effects of COVID-19 vaccines on breastfed infants or on milk production/excretion. In breastfeeding women, mRNA vaccines are not thought to be a risk to the breastfed infant.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says pregnant women are at increased risk for severe illness should they get COVID-19, and their babies may be at risk for adverse outcomes like preterm birth. For these reasons, women who are pregnant should consult with their health care providers to evaluate their personal risk of contracting COVID-19 as they consider whether to undergo vaccination. The decision is yours and should be based on available safety information and thoughtful consideration of the risks versus benefits of vaccination.

Should I be concerned when I hear that an ongoing COVID-19 vaccine trial has been paused?

Tweardy: No. It’s fairly common for studies to be stopped temporarily. This gives researchers time to determine if any serious adverse events people experience are due to the vaccine or caused by something else.

Even during a pandemic, life goes on, so people can still become ill for any number of reasons. If researchers determine the adverse events are unrelated to a vaccine, then studies can be restarted. This has occurred in the case of two big COVID-19 vaccine trials; the pause was lifted and the trial restarted after a review by independent trial safety experts determined that the adverse event was unrelated to the vaccine.

How long will the coronavirus vaccines be effective?

Tweardy:Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần We’d obviously love for it to give lifelong immunity against COVID-19, but that remains to be seen, as many people in the clinical trials are still in the follow-up period. We believe at least three months, if not six months or more. More data is coming and will guide us for future planning. If I had to guess, I would say it’s probably going to fall somewhere between influenza and the mumps, in terms of longevity of protection. It will probably be closer to the flu, because respiratory viruses don’t tend to lead to long-term immunity. 

What are the chances that a person who gets vaccinated can still get infected with COVID-19?

Tereffe: We know from the data so far that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines confer about 95% effectiveness after the second dose – meaning there were a few people who still experienced a symptomatic COVID-19 infection after their full course of vaccination. Among those who did experience a symptomatic infection, the vaccine helped prevent serious symptoms and hospitalization. We don’t have meaningful data on asymptomatic infections in the trial groups. That means that we don’t know if vaccinated people could still carry the virus and transmit it to others, without having symptoms themselves.

These are very highly effective vaccines – for comparison, the flu vaccine we get is 50% to 70% effective and it still has a big impact each year. It will take some time, but widespread vaccination have a big impact on slowing the spread of COVID-19.

Related stories

• Insights from a COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial participant
• When will we achieve herd immunity? 
• What counts as COVID-19 exposure?

 or by calling 1-877-632-6789.

Last updated on Aug. 11, 2020

Despite communities beginning to lift “stay home” orders during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic , MD Anderson’s operations – including patient appointments – continue to be affected.

While MD Anderson is open for care, the organization must keep enhanced safety measures in place to reduce the potential for COVID-19 exposure on our campuses and protect the health of our patients and our employees. Cancer patients are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because their immune systems are weakened due to treatment or the cancer itself.

“Our patient population represents the largest and densest immunocompromised population in the world,” says Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “We must accept that we will co-exist with COVID-19 until we reach a widespread state of immunity. Our readiness to protect our patients and our workforce is crucial.”

So what changes can MD Anderson patients and families expect during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Making patient appointments during the coronavirus pandemic

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnOur process for new patients requesting MD Anderson appointments remains the same. Patients can , or a physician may initiate the referral. Current patients should contact their care teams through MyChart, or by calling their clinic.

Our clinical teams will work with you to determine the most appropriate option for your care, which for current patients may include a virtual visit, care coordination in your local community if you live outside the Houston area, or visiting an MD Anderson location for your appointments and cancer treatment. Our goal is to reduce the number of visits to Houston to keep our patients safe, since traveling increases the risk of COVID-19 infection.

All new patients will be tested for COVID-19

MD Anderson is requiring all new patients to be tested for COVID-19 before their first visit. Your patient access representative will schedule your appointment and give you more information. 

You will need to be in Houston at least 36 hours prior to your new patient appointment for a scheduled COVID-19 nasal swab test at one of our testing locations. If you previously tested negative for COVID-19 at home, you will still need to be re-tested. Outside test results are helpful to care teams, but only MD Anderson COVID-19 testing is acceptable. Your results will be viewable in MyChart within 36 hours of your testing appointment.

• If your results are negative, you will be able to proceed to your appointment as scheduled.
• If your results are positive, you will be contacted by a provider to determine next steps. 
• If your results are not available at the time of your appointment, your schedule may be adjusted.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnWe are also testing all inpatients at admission and are testing patients prior to:

• radiation therapy
• procedures in the operating room
• stem cell transplants
• certain cellular therapy infusions
• procedures that generate respiratory aerosols, involve and mucous membranes or incude significant coughing, such as a lung biopsy

We are also providing testing for patients when a household member has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days. Outside test results are helpful to share with your care team, but they won't replace MD Anderson's COVID-19 nasal swab test, if your care team determines you need it. Your care team will provide more details if you are scheduled for COVID-19 nasal swab testing.

You’ll receive a MyChart COVID-19 questionnaire before your appointments

All patients will receive a questionnaire four days prior to their scheduled appointments to ask about symptoms and local COVID-19 testing by nasal swab. You may be requested to take a COVID-19 nasal swab test at MD Anderson, even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms.

What to expect when you arrive for an appointment during the COVID-19 pandemic

At our Texas Medical Center (TMC) Campus, there are specific entrances for patients, including:

• Main Building, The Pavilion valet entrance
• Main Building, The Aquarium valet entrance
• Main Building, Garage 10, Floor 3 skybridge
• Mays Clinic, East Lobby valet entrance
• Faculty Center, Floor 3, near Garage 17 entrance

Nearby parking garages are open, but our valet parking operations are suspended due to COVID-19.

If you are driving yourself to our Texas Medical Center Campus and need assistance from the garage into the building, please drive to either The Aquarium Valet entrance or Mays Clinic Valet. Our valet team will direct you on where to park. Then they will meet you at your garage with a wheelchair and help you get into the building. Our Patient Transportation team will take over once you're in the building.

As you enter our campus, you will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and exposure, and provided a medical face mask to be worn throughout our campus. Even if you have your own fabric mask, we ask that you wear the mask you’re provided while you are on our campus, unless instructed by a member of your clinical team to remove it for care.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnSocial distancing measures are in place throughout MD Anderson. Some services and amenities are limited or closed to comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) social distancing guidelines and further protect our patients, including:

• Valet parking
• Café seating
• Hospitality Centers
• Patient Relaxation Area
• Beauty/Barber shop
• The Learning Centers
• Salus at our Houston-area locations
• Mail station in the Main Building

Grab-n-Go foods are still available at our dining locations, and limited, socially distanced seating is available at Cafe Anderson in the Main Building, Waterfall Cafe in Mays Clinic and Apicius in the Rotary House. Patients are also welcome to eat in public spaces, such as our lobbies and reception areas, while keeping a safe distance of 6 feet away from others. Gift shops at our TMC Campus are open. 

If you’ve caught and recovered from the coronavirus (COVID-19), you might be wondering what that means. Are you immune to the virus now? Can you go out in public without wearing a mask? Is it safe to travel or attend large gatherings? Do you still need to practice social distancing?

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnWe checked with our infectious diseases and infection control expert  He shared these four Dos and Don’ts to help guide you.

1. DON’T assume you’re immune from COVID-19

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnThe most important thing to do is NOT assume you’re immune to the coronavirus, even if you’ve had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis before.

“This disease hasn’t been around for a full year yet, and we’re still learning about it,” says Chemaly. “So, even if you had a severe case and made a full recovery with no complications, we don’t know if natural immunity will protect you or for how long.”

Whether immunity stems from a vaccine or actual exposure to the virus, experts speculate it may still only be temporary. That means people would likely need a booster shot every year to maintain enough antibodies to provide on-going protection.

“If the immune system treats this coronavirus more like the fluXổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần than the mumps, immunity may not last longer than four or five months,” adds Chemaly. “It may start off strong and then taper over time, which means people would need to be revaccinated. But it’s too early to say. Nobody really knows yet.”

And, he adds, cancer patients and other immunocompromised patients may not develop antibodies at all — either to natural infection or to vaccinations. So, it’s even more critical not to assume you're safe from reinfection if you fall into one of these groups.

2. DO keep taking all the recommended COVID-19 precautions

It’s equally important to continue practicing all the behaviors experts recommend to prevent possible reinfection, such as hand washing, social distancing, and wearing a mask. It doesn’t just set a good example for others. It’s also crucial to protecting others if there’s even the slightest chance you might still be contagious.

How do you determine if you’re still contagious? According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines:

• General public/mild infections: Otherwise healthy individuals who did not have severe infections are deemed safe to be around others if 10 days have elapsed since the initial onset of symptoms and they’ve been symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
• Immunocompromised/severe infections: People who are immunocompromised and/or had a severe infection should wait up to 20 days from the onset of symptoms and be symptom-free for at least 24 hours before being around others.
• Severely immunocompromised: These individuals may need to consult with their care teams to ensure additional testing isn’t required before they can start socializing again.

Remaining committed to preventive strategies is especially critical if you’re caring for a cancer patient or someone else who is immunocompromised. Because even if you have immunity, notes Chemaly, they might not. And, you could still pick up a different strain or other germs in public somewhere and then bring them back to your household, inadvertently exposing — and infecting — your loved ones.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần“Take the same precautions you would as if you had not had COVID-19,” says Chemaly. “Avoid large gatherings of people, and act as if reinfection is still a possibility. Because it might be.”

3. DON’T forget to disinfect your home

Be sure to clean and disinfect your home thoroughly after you emerge from quarantine. This will help protect the people who live with you from any stray virus droplets that might be lingering on surfaces.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnStill, says Chemaly, “You don’t need to wear a mask or stay socially distanced from people living in your own household, once you’ve met the CDC’s criteria for clearance to stop quarantining.”

4. DO consider quarantining yourself again if you’re re-exposed to COVID-19

One of the hallmarks of viruses is that they mutate, or change over time. And just because you’ve developed antibodies to one strain of the coronavirus doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be effective against later versions.

“There’s already some indication that COVID-19 is mutating,” says Chemaly. “We have evidence that the strain in Houston acquired a specific mutation that may make it more transmissible, but not more virulent.”

That’s why it’s still a good idea to quarantine yourself if you think you may have been exposed to someone else who has COVID-19, especially if it’s been more than three months since you recovered from an infection yourself.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần“This is all new territory, so there are no guarantees,” says Chemaly. “Quarantine yourself until the incubation period has passed, just to be on the safe side.”

Related stories

• Holiday travel during the COVID-19 pandemic: Is it safe?
• How to celebrate Thanksgiving safely during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Can an air purifier protect you from COVID-19?

or by calling 1-877-632-6789.

To help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and make it easier for patients to see a doctor without leaving home, MD Anderson and many other health care providers are offering virtual visitsXổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần for many patients.

Existing MD Anderson patients who have a clinic follow-up visit or a consult visit with a new MD Anderson provider may be eligible for a video visit, depending on where they live. Each state has different regulations regarding video visits and the practice of medicine by out-of-state clinicians. Talk to your care team to learn what may be available and best for you.

“Virtual visits offer a convenient way for our cancer patients to continue receiving the outstanding care they have always experienced from their MD Anderson care team, with the added benefit of not having to leave their homes,” says

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnIf you’ve never had a virtual visit before, here’s what you should know to get the most out of your virtual visit.

Plan ahead ensure a productive conversation

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần“Virtual visits offer tremendous convenience since they can be done from anywhere with the click of a button,” says Navai. “But they do require a little bit of planning ahead to ensure you and your provider have a productive visit.”

Whether your appointment is virtual or in person, it can be hard to remember everything you want to discuss with your health care provider.

So, before your appointment, write down your questions, as well as new symptoms and concerns. This will help ensure you don’t forget anything important that you want to discuss during your visit.

Before your virtual visit with your MD Anderson provider, it’s also important to complete the eUpdate process to update your information in MyChart. You can verify your personal details, medications and insurance information up to 7 days before your virtual visit. We recommend doing this 2-3 days before your appointment so these details can be shared with your clinical team in advance. A member of your care team will call you before your appointment to review your list of medications and ensure you’re ready for your video visit.

Download the apps you need in advance

Before your appointment, download the apps you need on the device you plan to use and make sure you can access them correctly.

MD Anderson patients are encouraged to use the MyChart mobile app on a smartphone or tablet for the best video visit experience. You can download the free MyChart mobile app from the App Store or Google Play. You will also need to download the ZOOM Cloud Meetings app to the same device. Newer smartphone and tablets will be able to download the ZOOM Cloud Meetings app; see a list of operating systems that support the ZOOM Cloud Meetings app.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnYou must use the MyChart mobile app to join a video visit on your smartphone or tablet. You cannot go to our MyChart website from your smartphone or tablet and start your video visit.

While you can use a computer to access your MyChart account at MyChart.mdanderson.org, you may have more technical problems than if you use the MyChart app on a smartphone or tablet. Use our MyChart Video Visit Instructions or call 1-877-632-6789 if you need assistance. You also can watch .

Set the stage for your virtual visit

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnJust as you’d do for a video call with colleagues, find a quiet, well-lit space for your virtual visit. Be sure to check the background noise and any visuals that may appear around you while you’re on screen.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnTest where to direct your gaze on your webcam setup. Look into the camera so your doctor can have a more engaged conversation with you.

Use headphones, if possible

Plan to use headphones or a headset, if you have them. This will make it easier to hear your provider and may improve the sound quality.

If you’re including a household member in your virtual visit or don’t have headphones or a headset, check for background noise and move to a quieter space, if necessary, to eliminate distractions during your virtual visit.

Do a tech check

Before your visit, make sure your device is charged and that you have a strong internet signal or WiFi connection. A higher speed internet connection will help to increase the overall quality of the video and audio during your virtual visit.

It’s also important to confirm that your audio, video and headphones are working at least an hour before your virtual visit. They should work if you’ve recently used your device for other video chats.

“As with any new technology, you may encounter technical issues, but to ensure we can provide a timely and high quality experience, it’s a good idea to test everything before your visit,” says Navai. “You’ll have a better, more focused conversation with your provider if you don’t have to worry about technical difficulties.”

Your virtual visit will last as long as an in-person appointment

Your virtual visit will run a lot like an in-person visit and last about as long. Your provider will ask you questions, covering topics such as new symptoms, side effects and other concerns you may be having, as well as next steps for your treatmentXổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần or follow-up care.

Use this time to ask questions and share concerns with your provider, just as you would in person.

You can include family members in your virtual visit

Just as you might have brought family members to appointments before visitor restrictions were put into place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, you can include family members in your virtual visit. A family member or loved one can provide a second set of ears, take notes and ask questions you might not think of.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnIf your family member if participating from your home, have them in the same room as you and make sure they can appear on the screen, too, if possible. If you try to include them from another device in the same home, there may be a distracting echo.

Want to include a loved one in your virtual visit from another location? If you're an MD Anderson patient, you can add them through the ZOOM app by following these instructions. 

Plan to pay the same co-pay that you would for an in-person visit

You will be charged the same co-pay for your virtual visit as you would for an in-person appointment. But you will not be asked to pay during your virtual visit. Instead, the balance will be listed in your eUpdate after your visit. Your insurance company determines the cost of this co-pay. If you have questions about charges, payments and balances, send a message in MyChart or call 1-800-527-2318.

Know what to do if the connection is lost

Sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned. Here’s what to do if you lose your connection during your video visit:

• If you can still see your video, keep the video connection active and don’t close the video window. Your provider may be able to rejoin soon.
• If you lose your connection, restart the video visit following these steps. You may be placed in the virtual waiting room until your provider is able to restart the video visit.
• If the video visit can’t be restarted, your provider will call you to complete the visit or provide more instructions. Your provider will call you at the phone number you listed in your eUpdate, so be sure to keep that phone close by.

Learn more about virtual visits at MD Anderson.

or by calling 1-877-632-6789.

Last updated Aug. 11, 2020

Cancer patients are uniquely vulnerable to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 , because their immune systems are compromised due to disease and/or treatment. That’s why MD Anderson has taken special precautions to protect the health and safety of our cancer patients when they visit our campuses during the pandemic.

“From the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, MD Anderson has committed to going above and beyond to ensure the health and safety of our employees and our cancer patients. Guided by President Dr. Peter Pisters’ astute leadership, we hold ourselves to a higher standard because our patients represent the largest and densest immunocompromised population in the world,” says , MD Anderson’sXổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần chief medical officer. “Providing exceptional cancer care remains our top priority, and right now that also means keeping our patients safe from COVID-19, which will continue to be part of our lives until we reach a widespread state of immunity.”

As we learn to live with the coronavirus in the community, MD Anderson remains responsive to the needs of our patients and employees.

Here are 12 precautions and processes MD Anderson has in place to keep our patients safe from COVID-19 while receiving cancer care.

1. Screening everyone for COVID-19 symptoms when they enter our campuses. MD Anderson is screening everyone, including our employees, for COVID-19 symptoms at entrances to all of our campuses. This screening includes a thermal temperature check as you enter the building. For added protection, we have plexiglass enclosures around screening personnel at all patient entrances on our campuses.

If we suspect that a patient has COVID-19 based on this screening, we will arrange for immediate COVID-19 nasal swab testing.

2. Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing for many patients: MD Anderson is requiring all new patients to be tested for COVID-19 before their first visit. Your patient access representative will schedule your appointment and give you more information. You will need to be in Houston at least 36 hours prior to your new patient appointment for a scheduled COVID-19 test at one of our testing locations. If you previously tested negative for COVID-19 at home, you will still need to be re-tested. Learn more about new patient COVID-19 testing.

We’re also testing all inpatients at admission and are testing patients prior to:

• starting radiation therapy 
• procedures in the operating room
• stem cell transplants
• certain cellular therapy infusions
• procedures that generate respiratory aerosols, involve the mucous membranes, or induce significant coughing, such as a lung biopsy

We are providing testing for patients when a household member has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days, too. Outside test results are helpful to share with your care team, but will not replace MD Anderson’s COVID-19 testing if your care team determines you need it. You will get more details if you are scheduled for COVID-19 nasal swab testing.

Ensuring the safety and health of our workforce is also a top priority. As part of MD Anderson’s commitment to caring for our patients, we also test all employees who have coronavirus symptoms, as well as those who request asymptomatic testing. We also require our employees to undergo testing after travel outside the state of Texas.

3. Asking everyone to wear medical face masks on our campuses at all times. Every patient will be given a medical face mask when entering our campus. For your safety and that of other patients and our employees, we ask that you wear this mask the entire time you are on our campus. If you have a cloth mask, we ask that you instead wear the medical face mask you receive while at MD Anderson.

Patients who are admitted to our hospital are asked to wear face masks during transport and procedures, and when a staff member is within 6 feet.

4. Not allowing visitors, with limited exceptions. To reduce the spread of infection, MD Anderson has a no visitor policy at this time. This means family members or personal caregivers cannot accompany our adult patients at all of our locations until further notice. There will be special instances when a patient needs one adult caregiver to assist them. This caregiver must be physically able to assist the patient, be able to care for themselves and wait on their own, either outside the facility or in a waiting area, and pass screening questions. Due to safety concerns, patients and caregivers who meet exception criteria should not bring anyone with them to an appointment. This includes children and adults who are unable to care for or move themselves. Appointments will be rescheduled if a patient or caregiver arrives with someone who is dependent upon them.

Patients are encouraged to include family members and loved ones in appointments via FaceTime or other video conferencing platforms. Read how one couple made this work.

“We know what a vital role caregivers and family members play in our patients’ care, and we understand how difficult it is for caregivers to not be able to join their loved ones at appointments in person,” says Tereffe. “However, because our cancer patients are at increased risk for COVID-19 infection, it’s vital that we limit the number of people coming onto our campus. We are grateful for our patients’ and caregivers’ continued support and understanding as we work to ensure their health and safety.”

5. Social distancing. MD AndersonXổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần asks that our patients and employees maintain a distance of at least 6 feet at all times while on our campuses, including when you’re entering our buildings for screening. We have limited seating in our reception areas for this reason. To help reduce the amount of time you wait between appointments, ask your provider about getting your labs and imaging done the day before your visit.

There are limited exceptions when employees may need to be closer than 6 feet to provide direct patient care, including blood draws, physical exams, procedures and imaging, such as CT scans and MRIs.

Studies show that cloth and medical-grade face masks can cut down on coronavirus droplet spread by 80% or more.

“So, if everyone wore these masks properly and consistently, we could reduce the COVID-19 transmission rate significantly and help quell the outbreak,” says infectious diseases and infection control specialist

But with so many mask options available now, how do you pick the right one to prevent the spread of COVID-19? What factors should you be considering before making a mask purchase? And are there any fabrics or styles to avoid?

We spoke with Chemaly for details on what has shown about the types of mask that work best to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

What’s the best type of face covering to use during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnNot all masks are created equal. So, the one that’s best depends on three things: who you are, where you are and what you’re doing.

N-95 respirators without valves provide the most protection against the coronavirus — both for the wearers and for the people around them. But those should only be used by first-responders and health care workers in certain situations, such as those working in close contact with COVID-19 patients, because they are designed to filter out aerosolsXổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuần, not just droplets.

In most other circumstances, the goal of wearing a mask is to reduce the chance of droplet transmission — and disposable, medical-grade face masks and many washable cloth masks are actually quite good at that.

Xổ số miền bắc thứ 4 hàng tuầnThat’s why we tell our patients to wear the paper mask they’re provided while here on MD Anderson’s campus and a good cloth mask when out in public. When worn properly, a cloth mask is sufficient for most people’s needs.