Edward Hospital in Naperville has started using an outdoor triage tent as they prepare for a potential influx of coronavirus patients.
A large blue tent located outside the outpatient/emergency room entrance on Osler Drive is now serving patients who arrive with virus-related symptoms.
“The tents are in place in anticipation of higher volumes,” said Dr. Peter Schubel, an emergency medicine physician at Edward. “We are starting to use it even though our volumes so far have been pretty steady but not bad.”
Schubel said the tent is in place to screen people who have viral symptoms, which may or may not qualify for coronavirus testing, in order to keep them out of the waiting and emergency rooms.
“(Our goal is to) get them right out from triage to the tent to be screened and, if needed, tested,” Schubel said. “We are seeing a fair amount of people who are requesting testing, but again, we are limited on the testing ability based on the Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines.”
The COVID-19 testing guidelines are specific. Not only must the patient have a fever and/or signs of a lower respiratory illness, like a cough or shortness of breath, they must have had contact with someone confirmed positive for the virus, traveled to an affected area within the last 14 days, live in a health-care facility, have certain medical risk factors, been recently hospitalized with unexplained pneumonia or meet some other public health criterion.
Physicians and medical providers will handle medical screenings in the tent just like they would inside the hospital, Schubel said.
“What we will do is a swab for what we call an expanded bio panel, so we will test for a bunch of different viruses,” Schubel said. “If they test negative for that — as in that none of the other viruses (are present) — then they will be considered for COVID-19 testing if they meet the (state) criteria.”
About 20 patients have been seen in the last day in the tent, but the hospital is not providing exact numbers regarding how many people have been tested. People who are at low risk should continue to stay home, practice good hand washing and avoid contact with others, Schubel said.
“I wouldn’t recommend that people who are a low risk come to the ER for testing,” Schubel said. “That is a place (that) puts yourself at an exposure risk and also exposes other people. People should be isolating if they have symptoms, whether they know they are positive or not; we are still very limited in our ability to test and the criteria is still very narrow.”
Edward spokesman Keith Hartenberger said it’s important for people to contact their regular health provider by phone instead of showing up at the hospital and requesting to be tested.
“Before you go directly to your doctor’s office or to the emergency room or urgent care — wherever you might go for health care — call your doctor first,” Hartenberger said. “We recommend a phone screening first and then work with your physician or health-care provider to determine the next step.”
Jane Donahue is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
