Health Foundations Prepares for COVID-19: A Letter to Our Patients

Dear Health Foundations Patients + Families,

We would like to share with you what we know about COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and ways we are addressing potential risks at Health Foundations.

As of today, March 12th, there have been five documented cases in Minnesota. In order to keep our patients and families as safe and healthy as possible, we are instituting measures to prevent potential exposure in the event the virus becomes more widespread in our area. The goal is to "stop the spread". There is only so much capacity to deal with lot of very sick people in our healthcare system. If we can delay the spread by keeping people away from each other, we have a chance to help more people effectively and not overwhelm hospitals and infrastructure. We plan to do this by following the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to help decrease the spread of illness.

 First, it is important to know the symptoms of COVID-19:

* Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.

• Fever

• Cough

• Shortness of breath

The current recommendation is if you are experiencing mild symptoms of COVID-19 that you isolate at home during the illness. Do not go to work, school or public areas and avoid public transportation. Get plenty of rest, stay hydrated and manage your symptoms with over-the-counter medications at home. Seek prompt medical attention if your illness is worsening (e.g., difficulty breathing). If you have a medical emergency and need to call 911, notify the dispatch personnel that you have or are being evaluated for COVID-19.

Health Foundations will not be testing for suspected COVID-19. We are attempting to keep a zone of wellness at the birth center. If you suspect you have COVID-19 we suggest you contact your primary care provider. CALL AHEAD and let them know you have or suspect you may have COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.

When to reschedule your appointment (all types of illness):

• If you have a fever. Wait until 48 hours after your fever (temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius or higher) is gone to reschedule your visit. Temperature should be measured without the use of fever-reducing medicines (medicines that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen).

• Individuals with suspected or confirmed flu, who do not have a fever, should stay home for at least 4-5 days after the onset of symptoms. Persons with the flu are most contagious during the first 3 days of their illness.

• You have diarrhea or a “stomach bug.” Wait a minimum of 48 hours after diarrhea has resolved to reschedule your appointment.

• You have vomited in the past 24 hours.

• If you have recently traveled from China or another affected areas and have symptoms associated with COVID-19.

HEALTH FOUNDATIONS PREVENTION STRATEGIES

FOR THE SAFETY OF YOU, YOUR BABY, OUR STAFF, AND OTHER HEALTH FOUNDATIONS CLIENTS, ANYONE WHO IS EXHIBITING SYMPTOMS CANNOT BE PRESENT IN THE BIRTH ROOMS OR COME TO THE BIRTH CENTER (I.E. WAIT IN THE WAITING AREA) DURING LABOR OR THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD FOLLOWING A BIRTH.

Prevention Station

We will be setting up a prevention station with hand sanitizer, face masks, and tissues when you enter Health Foundations. When you arrive for your appointment, please stop and sanitize your hands.

PLEASE CALL AHEAD If you feel you must be seen despite having flu/cold-like symptoms (runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever, sneezing). We will determine if it is best for you to stay home, to be seen at Health Foundations or your primary care provider. If you come to Health Foundations exhibiting flu/cold-like symptoms, we will require you put on a mask before entering the waiting area.

Children’s Toys in Clinic Rooms

All toys have been removed from the clinic rooms.

Required Health Foundations Classes TEMPORARILY MOVED ONLINE

We are moving all Health Foundations required classes to an online format. We will be contacting families who have signed up for classes in March and April with further information. This includes the Early Home Care and Breastfeeding classes.

Parent Group (St. Paul + Minneapolis) + Mother’s Milk Hour (St. Paul) CANCELED TEMPORARILY

Parent Groups/Mom’s Group and Mother’s Milk Hour will be canceled for March 26th, March 27th and April 2nd. We will reassess the spread of COVID-19 and decide if additional dates need be canceled.

We encourage you to join our online Facebook group for Health Foundations clients to stay connected to community. Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/healthfoundations/

Mom + Baby Yoga CANCELED TEMPORARILY

Mom + Baby Yoga will be canceled for the next two weeks (March 17th + March 24th). We will reassess at that time if classes will resume as normal. 

How you can help

1. When you arrive for your appointment at Health Foundations, please stop and sanitize your hands at the prevention station.

2. Stay home if you are sick to help “stop the spread.” If you have a fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, or sneeze, please stay home and reschedule your appointment. If you plan to bring a child with you to your visit who has the above symptoms, please stay home and reschedule your visit.

3. WASH YOUR HANDS! Wash thoroughly with soap and warm water for a minimum of 20 seconds – the amount of time it takes to recite the alphabet or sing Happy Birthday.

4. Cover your cough and sneezes with your elbow, not your hand.

 If you are pregnant or breastfeeding

Pregnant women should take the usual preventative actions to avoid infection – such as washing hands often and avoiding people who are sick. Here is an article with more specifics for breastfeeding and pregnant women: https://avivaromm.com/covid-19-pregnancy-breastfeeding/

Immune support

We have had many questions about what we recommend for immune support. Here are some general recommendations we put together. Email info@health-foundations.com to be sent a link of recommended supplements. You can purchase for a 10% discount online.

Lifestyle

• Stay home if you are sick or not feeling well.

• Wash your hands frequently for a minimum of 20 seconds especially after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing; going to the bathroom and before eating or preparing food.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• When you get home, get in the habit of the first thing you do is wash your hands.

• Practice routine cleaning of high touch surfaces (counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets and bedside tables).

• Eat a whole foods diet. Avoid sugar.

• Get plenty of rest. Go to bed by 10pm every night.

• Stay hydrated. Ensure you are drinking 60-80 ounces of water daily.

Supplements (adult dosing)

• Multivitamin or Prenatal Vitamin – Thorne Basic Prenatal Vitamin (3 capsules a day with food) or Thorne Basic Nutrients (2 capsules a day with food)

• Vitamin D3 – 5000IU daily

• Vitamin C – During illness 1,000mg every 4 hours when you are awake. Maintenance dose is 1,000-2,000mg daily.

• Elderberry – 1 tbsp (15ml) of elderberry syrup taken three times a day to treat cold or flu symptoms OR 2 capsules (600mg) a day.

• Zinc – no more than 30mg a day.

• Probiotics – Metagenics UltraFlora Balance 2 capsules a day

We will continue to update our recommendations as more information becomes available about COVID-19 Coronavirus. The global picture of COVID-19 is a fluid, evolving situation and although we endeavor to stay as updated as possible, the information posted here may not reflect the latest news.

We are a member of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Association of Birth Centers. Health Foundations Birth Center + Women’s Health Clinic is working jointly with the other birth centers in Minnesota to create a plan to collaborate our staffing for all current birth center sites in the event our local hospital systems become overwhelmed.

On behalf of the Providers + Staff at Health Foundations

Dr. Amy Johnson-Grass

Reliable Resources

• Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)

• Center for Disease Control (CDC)

• World Health Organization (WHO)

• National Perinatal Association (NPA)