Staying Safe in a Time of COVID-19: A Message from the Parker Center

Concern around novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is understandably increasing, leading many of us to take extra care in keeping ourselves, our families, and our community safe and healthy. In light of this, we wanted to make sure our patients feel well-informed about COVID-19 and our updated precautions.

What Dr. Parker and the Parker Center team are doing to keep you safe

As a cosmetic medical practice, we do not typically work with patients who are sick. Still, to maintain a high level of strict sanitation and minimize the spread of COVID-19, our practice is taking additional precautions to keep you healthy.

• Our facility is cleaned daily by a medical-grade certified cleaning company. This includes sterilizing all surfaces with medical-grade cleaning products.
• All medical instruments are sterilized daily and between patients.
• All Parker Center staff members are properly trained to conduct instrument sterilization.
• All doorknobs, common area surfaces, and high-touch areas are disinfected after every patient.
• Our staff is trained in proper hand-washing and personal protection techniques.
• Staff and patients are instructed to stay home if they are not feeling well.

In addition to the above, patients and staff who have experienced the following will not enter our building:

• Fever within the last 24 hours
• New cough or shortness of breath
• Travel to an area with widespread coronavirus
• Directed to self-quarantine by a medical professional or local government

Staff and visitors to the Parker Center will be required to have their temperature taken upon arrival, and we will not admit anyone with a temperature of over 100 degrees.

We care greatly for the health and safety of both our patients and team—and we will continue to do what is best to protect our community.

The latest update on COVID-19 in Paramus, New Jersey

We are closely monitoring COVID-19 updates from the CDC, WHO, and local officials. As of the writing of this article, 178 positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported in New Jersey, including 61 positive cases in Bergen County as of March 14th. It’s important to understand, however, that lack of testing for more minor cases means a greater number of people may have come in contact with the virus. As testing continues, the reported numbers above are likely to increase.

We do not mention this to scare you but rather to remind you that limiting your interaction with the public and taking proper hygiene precautions is crucial at this time.

As we learn more about the spread of novel coronavirus locally, nationally, and internationally, our local government is making efforts to encourage social distancing and protect our community.

Area closings at this time include:

• All New Jersey schools, including public, private, and colleges
• Bergen county cinemas, public theaters, and performance halls with fixed seating
• All public gatherings over 50 people
• The American Dream Mall
• Bergen County Zoo at Van Saun
• Organized or planned activities and events in public parks

You can monitor local COVID-19 news at the New Jersey Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard, the Daily Voice website, and the Paramus Borough website.

Best hygiene practices for COVID-19

At this time, the best way to reduce the spread of the virus and prevent illness is to avoid exposure. In addition to limiting your contact with others, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself and those around you—which will help “flatten the curve” to reduce the spread and minimize strain on our healthcare system.

Graph courtesy of flattenthecurve.com

A vigilant personal hygiene routine and proper sanitation of your personal environment can help minimize risk for you, your loved ones, and your community. Here are recommended COVID-19 preventative measures to take from the CDC:

• Clean your hands often with either soap and warm water for a minimum of 20 seconds or with hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Soap and water remain the best method, but a thorough coating of hand sanitizer on all surfaces of your hands will do in a pinch.
• Avoid touching your face, particularly your nose and mouth, with unwashed hands. Not touching your face can be a difficult task, so just ensure you are cleaning your hands before and after.
• Put distance between yourself and others. Forgo hugs, handshakes, and other close-contact.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow (not your hands!). Make sure to throw away all used tissues or wash reusable options and clean your hands immediately after.
• Wear a facemask only if you are sick or caring for someone who is sick. Because the demand for personal protective gear is so high, limited supplies could negatively impact caregivers, healthcare workers, and citizens who are at risk. Because of this, we do not recommend wearing a facemask if you do not fall into the above categories.
• Disinfect common surfaces in your home every day, particularly “high touch areas” like doorknobs, light switches, counters, keyboards, etc. Don’t forget the sinks and faucets! You don’t want to touch a dirty tap with freshly cleaned hands. Alcohol and diluted bleach solutions are effective, in addition to other EPA-registered household disinfectants. Be sure to follow recommend directions, preparation, and contact time guidelines.
• Limit interaction with common-use surfaces, such as ATMs, self-checkout counters, pin pads, etc. When you need to use these surfaces, immediately sanitize your hands.

As of March 15th, the CDC recommends avoiding gatherings of more than 50 people, including concerts, conferences, festivals, weddings, etc.

We continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation and will update you as needed if any changes to our operations or policies occur. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call us at (201) 967-1212.