Coronavirus
Coronaviruses are respiratory viruses named for the crown-like spikes on
the surface of the virus. These range from viruses that cause the common
cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome (MERS). The latest coronavirus, beleived to have originated in
China, is called the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our infectious
disease team and critical care staff are well prepared to address the
needs of COVID-19 patients.
Coronavirus Cases Dashboard
Keep up to date by checking in daily on our Coronavirus Cases Dashboard,
which highlights the number of positive inpatients at the Health System
hospitals and positive cases in our coastal counties and for the state
of Georgia.
Coronavirus Cases Dashboard
Screening Hotline: 912-466-7222
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
The Hotline is staffed with Health System nurses and advanced practice
providers and will offer immediate access to
Southeast Georgia Physician Associates health care providers, if needed. Patients who meet the criteria for an
in-person
coronavirus screening will be given an appointment and instructions for a virtual
or in-person physical exam and, if warranted, instructions for testing.
Learn More
COVID-19 Antibody Therapy Treatment
Vaccines are still the very best way to prevent COVID-19 or to avoid severe
illness, hospitalization or death from the virus. However, for those individuals
who test positive for coronavirus and have underlying health conditions,
Southeast Georgia Health System offers an outpatient monoclonal antibody
therapy that may help avoid hospitalization or severe illness.
Regeneron monoclonal antibody therapy (Regeneron infusion) helps the immune
system stop COVID-19 from spreading in people with mild to moderate symptoms.
The antibodies are synthetic proteins that are manufactured in a lab.
The therapy is not new, doctors have long used this treatment to deliver
drugs or radioactive substances directly to cancer cells. The U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) has given monoclonal antibody therapy emergency
use authorization for the treatment of COVID-19. According to the FDA,
clinical trials showed that COVID-19 patients who received antibody infusions
had a significant reduction in hospitalization and death compared to patients
who received a placebo.
The Health System began offering antibody infusions in November 2020 at
Glynn Immediate Care Center in Brunswick with a goal to treat as many
high-risk patients as possible to prevent symptoms from progressing to
severe illness and hospitalization.
In addition to Glynn Immediate Care Center, antibody infusions are currently
offered at the Brunswick and Camden Campus Emergency Care Centers
Do You Qualify for Treatment?
Monoclonal antibodies are used to treat mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19
in non-hospitalized adults and adolescents (12 years and older) with a
BMI greater than 25. Vaccinated and unvaccinated high-risk individuals
can receive antibody infusions if they meet the following criteria:
- Diagnosed with COVID-19
- At high risk for severe illness, hospitalization or death
- Not currently experiencing severe symptoms
Qualified individuals must be evaluated at Glynn Immediate Care Center
or in the Brunswick or Camden Campus Emergency Care Centers. There is
no cost to the patient for the therapy; however, an administration fee
will be filed with the patient’s insurance company.
The spread of coronavirus
Coronavirus is spread by close person-to-person contact. Close contact
is defined as being within approximately six feet of another person so
that droplets from a cough or sneeze can get into the mouth, nose or lungs.
Our infectious disease team follows all Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) recommendations to handle incidents of coronavirus should
they occur, as we do with all infectious diseases.
The latest guidance on COVID-19 is available through the GDPH at its toll-free
number, 1-866-PUB-HLTH (1-866-782-4584), its website
dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus or through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at
cdc.gov.
Coronavirus symptoms
The CDC is making a test to determine whether patients have coronavirus.
General testing by your health care provider will not identify the COVID-19
strain. Symptoms of coronavirus may appear in as few as two days or in
as many as 14 days after exposure.
Symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
But these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness. The symptoms
are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu.
It's very unlikely you will contract coronavirus if:
- you have not been in close contact with someone with confirmed coronavirus.
- you have not been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus
in the last 14 days.
Updated Travel Information
When to call your health care provider?
If you are experiencing the above symptoms (fever, cough or difficulty
breathing), and you think you need to be tested for COVID-19,
please call your health care provider BEFORE visiting their office. Be sure to inform them of your symptoms and travel history or exposure
to a person diagnosed with the virus.
If you do not have a health care provider, please call our COVID Screening
Hotline, 912-466-7222, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. We will work with
you to determine if you need to be tested and provide you with additional
instructions.
When to Call 911
How is Southeast Georgia Health System prepared for the coronavirus?
Our infectious disease team on both our Brunswick and Camden Campus hospitals
have the PPE required to safely treat patients with Coronavirus–
masks, eye protection, gowns, gloves – specifically designated to
treat patients suspected of having an infectious virus. Our hospital team
members who provide medical care are trained on guidelines for putting
on and taking off PPE. Both our Brunswick and Camden Campus hospitals
also have negative pressure rooms that are intended for patient isolation
and are designed so air goes inside the room and not out when the door
opens thereby containing the virus to that room.
What can you do to avoid the coronavirus?
The best way to prevent illness is to
get vaccinated!
The following tips will also help prevent the spread of coronavirus as
well as other respiratory viruses:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap
and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with
at least 60 percent alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, especially with unwashed hands.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneezes with a tissue or sneeze into your elbow. Throw
the tissue in the garbage and make sure to clean your hands afterwards.
- Avoid close contact with people who are showing symptoms of illness.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Stay informed
For further information regarding the coronavirus, its spread, prevention
and travel information, please refer to the Center for Disease Control
and Prevention.
Resources
-
Coastal Health District provides answers to some of the frequently asked questions the Health
District hears most often from the public, community partners and media.
-
Georgia Department of Public Health has a map and chart showing all the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia,
and any associated deaths. This map/chart is updated Monday-Friday.
-
Georgia Department of Public Health has also added more information and guidance for various populations and
groups. If you scroll down the home page you'll see a bunch of links
to dig deeper.
-
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website continues to be our go-to for a lot of good information.
- The state has recently opened a telephone hotline for COVID-19 questions
from the public. That public hotline number is 844-442-2681.
-
World Health Organization is also a wonderful resource for up to date, accurate information.
Information courtesy of Association for Professionals in Infection Control
and Epidemiology and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Related Documents
Lo que necesita saber sobre: ENFERMEDAD DEL CORONAVIRUS 2019
Cómo evitar la propagación de la: ENFERMEDAD DE CORONAVIRUS 2019
COVID-19 Contact Tracing
Guía provisional para trabajadores agrícolas estacionales
y sus empleadores en Georgia
26 de mayo de 2020
Healthy Partners Articles
Even After Vaccination, Masks Are Needed
Healthy Partners, Winter 2021
As a critical care and pulmonary medicine physician, Stephen A. Chitty
IV, M.D., has seen firsthand the devastating impact of COVID-19. When
a vaccine became available in December 2020, he welcomed the opportunity
to be inoculated. Even so, you won’t see him out and about without
his face mask. “I’m extremely thankful for the vaccine and
the opportunity it offers in the fight against this deadly virus,”
says Dr. Chitty.
Read More
Standing Steadfast Through the Storm
Healthy Partners, Fall 2020
Steering a ship through a life-threatening storm takes courage and determination.
Fortunately, the crew at Southeast Georgia Health System’s Glynn
Immediate Care Center has an experienced captain at the helm. Daniel Miller,
M.D., has practiced medicine at the clinic for 20 years and has served
as its medical director for 12. When the coronavirus arrived on American
shores in early 2020, Dr. Miller and his team sprang into action.
Read More
Everyday Heroes
Healthy Partners, Fall 2020
Many heroes emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontline health care
workers commanded much praise, but other heroes were relatively unnoticed.
By working behind the scenes 24/7, 365 days a year, the Southeast Georgia
Health System Laboratory Services team provides an essential, lifesaving
service. “We’re involved in the care of almost every hospital
patient,” says Patrick Godbey, M.D., FCAP, laboratory director and
chief, Department of Pathology, on the Southeast Georgia Health System
Brunswick Campus. “The vast majority of medical decisions and diagnoses
are made in our lab."
Read More
Senior Care Center Visitor Cottages Keep Families Connected
Healthy Partners, Fall 2020
In difficult times, necessity becomes the mother of invention. The Southeast
Georgia Health System Senior Care Centers in Brunswick and St. Marys have
taken that to heart. Outside of each facility stands a collection of diminutive
white cottages, each featuring a covered porch. To prevent the spread
of COVID-19, a protective plexiglass shield divides the climate-controlled
sitting area but stops short of the ceiling.
Read More