Dear Patients,

We hope this message finds you safe and well and taking measures to protect you and your loved ones against the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on our lives.

As many of you know or may have guessed, I reluctantly suspended my clinical practice as of March 13 to participate in the global effort to mitigate the transmission of this deadly disease. We plan to re-open as soon as Governor Newsom’s Shelter-in-Place order is lifted. As none of us yet know when that will be, we are considering how we may best be of ongoing assistance during this challenging time.

First, and most important, we join with health-care professionals around the world in urging everyone to take protective measures, including these critical habits:

• Maintain social distancing as much as possible;
• Wash hands frequently, particularly after contact with any potentially-infected person or surface, and before eating;
• Avoid touching your face or eating without clean utensils
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue and dispose of it immediately, or at least into your elbow, never your hand;
• Sanitze objects that may be contaminated (such as deliveries of groceries) with a disinfectant wipe;
• Recognize the key symptoms of COVID19, and immediately self-isolate and contact your physician, if you experience:
  • The COVID19 triad: fever, cough, shortness of breath
  • Profound fatigue, disorientation
  •  Muscle and body aches
  • (Headache, sinus and nasal congestion, sore throat are uncommon COVID19 symptoms and by themselves may be indicators of the common cold and other conditions.)
• Know the key risk factors for serious illness: age > 60 years, underlying heart or lung disease, diabetes.
• Seek emergency medical help if you are experiencing severe difficulty breathing (for any reason).

As there are many myths and mistakes about COVID19 circulating on the internet, we suggest consulting only reputable government and medical sources for advice, including:

Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency

California Department of Public Health

US Centers for Disease Control

World Health Organization

By working together to stay safe and healthy, we can get through this pandemic. We miss seeing our patients, and look forward to a return to our normal clinic operations as soon as safe and possible!

Stay safe and be well,

Anthony Von der Muhll