Last updated March 13, 2020, 12:39 pm ET

To our patients,

We understand that this is a difficult time for everyone and information regarding Coronavirus is often conflicting. What we do know is that children most often only have mild disease. However, they can easily get older family members and friends sick. Please be reassuring to your children that they will be fine, but good and frequent handwashing and coughing into the elbow can save the lives of others.

In order to prevent the spread of illness, we have instituted new policies within our office. We have temporarily divided our rooms so that if you are in the office for a well visit or an injury, you will only be in a room that well patients are seen in, and sick patients are seen in separate spaces. Furthermore, through more elaborate screening of sick patients, we will not be seeing patients who have probable Coronavirus. We cannot test these individuals, but we will be happy to discuss symptoms and concerns by phone. Our Nurse Practitioners are helping to screen the larger volume of calls we are receiving. Please be patient while we try to triage your calls.

If you are scheduled for a well visit, but you the parent are ill, the child is ill, or the siblings are ill with fever/cough, we will be asking you to reschedule. This is to protect your healthy children, as well as our staff.

We all understand how frustrating the lack of testing is, and there just isn’t anything we can do about it. The situation is fluid, and we will try to update our patients to any significant changes. If you think any member of your family could have Coronavirus or Influenza, please keep them at home. Do not bring sick children out to stores or restaurants. If your child is having any fever with difficulty breathing, noisy breathing, or fast breathing, please call our office for guidance. Do not bring your child to the office or ER without calling us first. The ER protocol has changed. Symptomatic children and adults are being seen from the car first and this requires co-ordination with the hospital nursing staff.

***Also, we will be canceling the Monday morning walk-in hour until further notice.***

We wish all our families best wishes for good health.

Marblehead Pediatrics

***For up to date information on Coronavirus go to healthychildren.org OR cdc.gov/coronavirus