Five cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Smith County, Texas, the home of Precision Spine Care, according to local news outlet KETK.
Charles Gordon, MD, a neurosurgeon with the Tyler-based practice, spoke to KETK about what challenges his community should brace for in the coming weeks.
Three takeaways Dr. Gordon shared during the interview:
1. On communicating with patients: "We're taking our cues from the CDC and from government guidelines, which is basically to minimize unnecessary gatherings [and] travel that's discretionary. We think it's fine for people to continue to come see the doctor [or] come to the hospital, but if a person has symptoms — or [for] our patients who are more elderly and frail — we're encouraging them to reach out by phone rather than come in person."
2. On testing concerns: "We don't have access to all the tests that we need, so the guidelines are that people who are at risk or who have symptoms should be tested first. Hopefully, as more tests become available, people can be tested at will. I would certainly support widespread testing and [doing] that as quickly as possible."
3. On the biggest challenge at this point: "It's balancing. I don't think that people need to panic. I believe that we'll get through this. I don't think that this is the end of the world or the Black Plague by any means, but on the other hand, I do believe that it's important that we are careful and that we are cautious."