General Wellness

At Clinic Sofia, we are closely monitoring ongoing developments related to COVID-19. We are hopeful that the information below will provide further clarification regarding the illness itself, as well as preventative measures, and what to do if you are experiencing symptoms. We take the safety and well-being of our patients and employees very seriously. It goes without saying that if you are experiencing any symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing), that you do NOT come into our clinic at this time. Please call to reschedule your appointment or speak with one of our Triage nurses.

What is COVID-19 (Coronavirus)?

COVID-19 is a viral respiratory illness caused by a newly identified coronavirus that was discovered in late 2019 in China. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses cause illnesses in people and others only circulate among animals. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people. The virus causing COVID-19 may have emerged from an animal source, and it is now able to spread from person to person.
A good source of additional information can be found on the CDC website.

How does it spread?

The virus is thought to spread between people who are in close contact (within about six feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. It may also spread when one person touches a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touches their mouth, nose, or eyes. However, this is not thought to be the main way the virus is transmitted.

Symptoms

This coronavirus causes mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Evidence suggests that incubation period is between 2-14 days.

What to Do if you have symptoms

If you have traveled recently to one of the areas in the world known to have a COVID-19 outbreak or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, AND you are experiencing symptoms, then we do recommend getting tested for the disease. As an Ob/Gyn clinic, we at Clinic Sofia are not the first line for information regarding this type of illness, its testing and/or treatment – nor do we offer the testing in our clinic. We strongly encourage you to please contact your Primary Care Provider (such as an internal medicine or family practice clinic) for further guidance, OR if you don’t have a primary care provider to take the following steps:

• Go to OnCare, Fairview’s 24/7 online patient care portal. Once there, create an account and start your evaluation. Once you have submitted your information, you will receive care instructions relevant to your needs. If multiple people in your family need testing, each will have to start a separate case in OnCare.

• After reviewing the information you submitted about your symptoms and exposure, you may be directed to come to an M Health Fairview clinic location for testing. The process is simple, and requires nose and mouth swabs. To protect other patients and staff, Fairview providers may conduct a drive-through test, allowing you to remain in your vehicle outside the clinic.

• Your test samples will be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Health for evaluation. If you test positive, you will be contacted by your provider or a member of the care team and will receive further care instructions.

Treatments and Prevention

Patients may also be asked to self-quarantine at home in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. There is no antiviral treatment recommended for COVID-19. People with COVID-19 may receive supportive care to help relieve symptoms.

Prevention

No vaccine is currently available for the coronavirus causing COVID-19. The best way to prevent the illness is to avoid exposure through simple precautions. Prevention steps include:
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not readily available.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home if you’re feeling sick.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t have COVID-19 but have an appointment at Clinic Sofia. What should I do?

We take precautions to prevent the spread of all respiratory illness. At this time, until we know more about the spread and risk of this infection, if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms please call and reschedule your appointment. If you have traveled outside the country or on a cruise in the past 14 days, we request that you call and reschedule for a later time. If you need assistance with refilling long-term medications, we are happy to assist you with that via phone until a more appropriate and safe time to be seen in the office arises. If you are worried about coming to the clinic and would like to speak with us regarding the necessity of coming into the office or regarding alternative options (phone consultations), please call our main line, (952) 922-7600 to speak with a Triage nurse.

Have you implemented visitor restrictions at your clinics?

To protect our other patients and employees from illness, we are strongly encouraging you to avoid bringing additional people with you to your appointment – This includes any children, spouses, or other visitors. Additionally, we ask that anybody with any illness symptoms or diagnosis of illness (fever, strep, sore throat, cough, body aches, influenza, ear infections, etc) to not come into the building.

Does the Hospital have any visitor restrictions (such as during Labor and Delivery care)?

The newest visitor policy, as of March 13th, at both Maple Grove Hospital and Fairview Southdale Hospital, is currently limiting visitors to only 1 per patient, this includes in the Labor and Delivery unit. Children under 18 are not allowed to visit. This policy may change in the future so please ask for the most updated information upon your admission to the hospital.

I don’t have any symptoms or known exposures, but can I receive coronavirus testing for my own peace of mind?

Supplies for lab testing are currently limited and the Minnesota Department of Health is unable to perform this kind of testing at this time. Please contact your Primary Care Provider’s office for further information as this may change in time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put out the following frequently asked questions and answers (FAQ) for pregnant women, those with infants, breastfeeding mothers.

Q: Are pregnant women more susceptible to infection, or at increased risk for severe illness, morbidity, or mortality with COVID-19, compared with the general public?

A: We do not have a lot of information from published scientific reports about susceptibility of pregnant women to COVID-19. We do know pregnant women experience immunologic and physiologic changes which might make them more susceptible to other respiratory infections (like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)] and influenza).

However, limited data from the COVID-19 infection in China do NOT show a greater risk for susceptibility or severity for the virus in pregnant patients as compared to other adults. This is based off very limited number of patients and may change with time. We are encouraging our pregnant patients to engage in usual preventive actions to avoid infection like washing hands often, avoiding people who are sick, avoiding all non-essential travel, and social distancing themselves.

Q: Are pregnant women with COVID-19 at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes?

A: To date there is NO evidence of intrauterine infection of the virus among pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 in the third trimester, but again the numbers of these patients are low so our data is very limited. None of the infants born to mothers with known COVID-19 infections have tested positive for the virus and the virus was not detected in the amniotic fluid or breastmilk of these patients.
We do not have information on adverse pregnancy outcomes in early pregnancy (first trimester) with COVID-19. Pregnancy loss, including miscarriage and stillbirth, has been observed in cases of infection with other related coronaviruses [SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV] during pregnancy. High fevers during the first trimester of pregnancy can increase the risk of certain birth defects.

Q: Is maternal illness with COVID-19 during lactation associated with potential risk to a breastfeeding infant?

A: Human-to-human transmission by close contact with a person with confirmed COVID-19 has been reported and is thought to occur mainly via respiratory droplets produced when a person with infection coughs or sneezes. In the limited number of patients cases reported to date, no evidence of the virus has been found in the breast milk of women with COVID-19. In limited reports of lactating women infected with other respiratory viruses, such as SARS-CoV, the virus has not been detected in breast milk; however, antibodies against SARS-CoV were detected in at least one sample.