Mercy Responds to Novel Coronavirus COVID-19

March 16, 2020

Visitor Restrictions Across Mercy:

Mercy Clinic:

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, all Mercy Clinic locations in all four states are limiting visitors to one per patient. Mercy is allowing certain exceptions. 

Learn more details here.

Mercy Hospitals:

Mercy is working across our four states to respond to each of our community’s needs. For specific information about visitor restrictions in your community, see below:

• Springfield (includes Aurora, Cassville, Lebanon, Mountain View)
• Oklahoma 
  • Oklahoma City
  • Ada
  • Ardmore
• St. Louis - South
• Arkansas

UPDATE: March 13, 2020

St. Louis, Mo.

Mercy is opening its first drive-through novel coronavirus (COVID-19) test collection site in an effort to create more widely available testing resources in our communities. The first site will open Saturday, March 14 at the Mercy Virtual Care Center, 15740 S. Outer Forty Road in Chesterfield, Missouri.

Mercy also plans to open additional test collection sites across Mercy’s four states.

“This drive-through test collection site will prevent unnecessary exposure to our patients and caregivers in our hospitals and clinics,” said Donn Sorensen, Mercy’s executive vice president of operations who is leading COVID-19 response across Mercy. “By directing at-risk people to this site, Mercy will limit the traffic to our hospitals and clinics. The safety of our patients, visitors and co-workers is of the utmost importance.”

Patients in St. Louis are required to call Mercy’s clinical support line at 314-251-0500 to be screened, and if appropriate, proceed to the test collection site. Find more details here.

Springfield, Mo.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department will be launching a drive-through testing site, Monday, March 16. The site will assess community disease prevalence of mildly affected patients in efforts to reduce the volume of patients seen in local clinics and emergency departments.

This testing site will only be available to patients referred by a physician. Members of the public will not be able to respond onsite for screening on their own.

Mercy, along with Cox Health and Jordan Valley Community Health Center, will be working with the health department to staff the site. Find more details here.

UPDATE: March 12, 2020

Hand washing regularly and properly is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection. Wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Find out how it's done here.

UPDATE: March 10, 2020

Mercy has a command center with experts from across our four states working through our response to COVID-19. We know many people have questions; here are answers to a few of the most common concerns:

I want to get tested. Where can I go to do that? Mercy is working to set up a drive-through test collection site in the St. Louis area, where there has been one confirmed case of COVID-19. We are also working through plans to set up similar sites in other Mercy communities.

Remember, testing is only valid for those who have respiratory symptoms (fever, cough or shortness of breath). Not everyone should be tested. Testing prior to the appearance of symptoms can result in a false negative.

If you’re just mildly ill, stay home and contact your health care provider by phone or via MyMercy for guidance. You can also call 314-251-0500.

If you have difficulty breathing, call ahead to your nearest emergency room and let them know your symptoms and that you’re on your way. That will help them prepare for your arrival.

What are the symptoms? People with COVID-19 don't have a runny nose or nasal congestion. 90% of patients will have fever and 70% will have a dry cough. Those who become acutely ill will experience shortness of breath.

Should I keep my kids home from school? School administrators are working closely with public health officials. If they believe enough children have potentially been exposed, they may cancel classes to prevent further spread. This is the same thing we’ve seen districts do in the past when there are a large number of flu cases in one school building. Otherwise, just remind your children to wash their hands often and not to share food or drink with their friends. What we’ve seen in other parts of the world is that children with COVID-19 generally do not develop serious symptoms

I’m a business owner. When should I close or let people work from home? It’s really encouraging that you’re thinking ahead about this. The CDC has guidance on its website here.

If you have employees who can work remotely from home, you may want to make plans now for that. In the meantime, remind everyone to wash their hands often with soap and water and to use disinfecting wipes often on countertops, doorknobs and other places people often touch.

Do I need to be concerned about keeping my upcoming appointment at Mercy? You can feel confident to visit us for care. Public health officials have assured us that our co-workers followed protocols perfectly while testing the patient who is positive for COVID-19 in the St. Louis area. There was no risk to our caregivers, patients or visitors. We would use the same procedures in any of our Mercy locations. The patient was not sick enough to require hospital-level care and was sent home and instructed to stay there.

Our facilities are routinely disinfected. We care for patients regularly who are ill with complications from other respiratory viruses like the flu. We hope you understand that this is the work we do every day, and we take it very seriously.

What precautions are you taking to ensure hospitalized coronavirus patients won’t spread the illness to others in your facility? Because COVID-19 is spread from person-to-person, we isolate those who may have been exposed. Our co-workers use personal protective equipment when caring for those patients, like special masks and gowns and eye protection, that not only protect them but also stop the spread to the rest of the community.

UPDATE: March 8, 2020

Mercy’s first positive COVID-19 patient was sent home for self-quarantine immediately following the well-coordinated testing at Mercy Hospital St. Louis’ emergency department. With concerned calls coming in from the public, as well as from our own co-workers, we want to emphasize that no one – co-workers, patients or visitors – was ever at risk of exposure due to the extraordinary preparation of our Mercy team.

It’s important to remember that there are currently only three confirmed positive cases in the states that Mercy serves, one in St. Louis, Missouri, one in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and one in Johnson County, Kansas, which is in the Kansas City area.

While COVID-19 is spread from person to person, the risk is relatively low in our communities. More than 80% of the patients who develop it will only become mildly ill. The concern is for those with underlying medical conditions and the elderly, who are more likely to need hospital-level, supportive care. If you have questions about travel exposure or symptoms, please call your local county or state health departments.

A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) team with Mercy’s top experts is working every day to make sure Mercy is prepared and ready to care for our communities. Mercy is also working closely with local and state health departments, as well as with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to ensure we have the most up-to-date information about a rapidly changing situation.

As part of our mission and heritage for almost 200 years, we care for those in our community regardless of the illness or circumstance. It’s what we do. It’s who we are. Our Sisters of Mercy, long known as the Walking Sisters, have always turned and walked toward those in need. Whether it was a cholera or typhoid epidemic in Dublin, Ireland, in the early 1800s, or a smallpox outbreak in Springfield, Missouri, at the turn of the century, the Sisters were many times the first to serve, without hesitation, whenever needed. 

Today, Mercy’s mission remains unchanged. We serve our communities with compassionate care, dignity and medical expertise.

Things You Can Do Today and Every Day

There are things you can do to keep the risk of COVID-19, or any respiratory illness, to a minimum:

• Practice hand hygiene all the time. (It’s crucial.) Wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Using hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol is an effective alternative. Both should be done frequently.
• Avoid any hand to eye, hand to nose, or hand to mouth contact.
• Be considerate when you are sick. Stay home if you are feeling ill. You should be fever free for 24 hours before returning to work. Cover coughs and sneezes using the crook of your arm (inside elbow).
• Practice the 6-foot rule. If you must be in a public space and notice someone ill, keep that distance to lessen your risk.
• Get appropriate rest, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly in order to maintain a healthy immune system. 

Severity of Illness

While COVID-19 is spread person to person, the risk is relatively low in our communities. More than 80% of the patients who develop it will only become mildly ill. The concern is for those with underlying medical conditions and the elderly, who are more likely to need hospital-level, supportive care.

In addition, here are some of the steps Mercy has taken in response to the COVID-19 cases in the U.S.:

• Mercy’s supply chain team has diligently worked to make sure we have the supplies we need to care for our patients and co-workers. We have an ample supply of personal protective equipment, including N-95 masks. 
• All patients are screened for recent travel history and symptoms at any Mercy facility. Mercy’s electronic health record prompts our front desk staff to ask specific questions. If the patient has traveled to any heavily affected area, and has symptoms like fever, cough, etc., we will take steps to ensure the patient’s safety as well as others.
• Co-workers are completing additional training (refresher courses) in proper use of personal protective equipment. It’s critical for our co-workers to stay healthy so they can continue to care for patients.
• Mercy has completed a comprehensive inventory of all intensive care units and equipment across Mercy. 

For the latest updates, visit the CDC website.