Stay Put

Coronavirus: “No reason to go to an
emergency room,” ER doctor advises.

CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER
W

ith the first con-
firmed cases of
the coronavi-
rus (COVID-19) hitting
Michigan on March 11, many
local hospital emergency
rooms have seen a flood of
people coming in asking to
be tested for the disease.
But unless you have sig-
nificant shortness of breath,
coming to the
ER is doing more
harm than good,
according to Dr.
Sanford Vieder,
D.O., director of
the Emergency
Trauma Center
at Beaumont Hospital,
Farmington Hills.
“There is no reason to go
to an emergency room or
urgent care unless you are
having significant breathing
difficulties or chest pains,”
Vieder told the Jewish News.
“We can’
t test for COVID-
19. No hospital in Michigan
has the test. Only the

Michigan Department of
Health and Human Services
Bureau of Laboratories in
Lansing has the ability to do
so.”
At Beaumont, Vieder has
seen a significant spike in
the number of patients com-
ing in asking to be tested. If
they do ask for a test, Vieder
and the staff are declining
them because the state health
department has very strict
guidelines on who should be
tested as of now.
“There is a limited num-
ber of the test itself, so we’
re
not going to do tests on just
anybody, especially since a
majority of them have mild
symptoms,” Vieder said. “The
process of getting tested is
quite complicated and it is
not something that a physi-
cian’
s office or urgent care
can do quite yet.
“Also, the experience thus
far is that the vast majority
who do have symptoms don’
t
need hospitalization.”

A big concern of Vieder’
s
is the “worried-well,” people
who are perfectly healthy and
do not need medical treat-
ment but visit the doctor or
emergency room out of an
abundance of caution.
“You have to keep in mind
that if we are overrun with
the worried-well, then we
can’
t help those who really,
really need it. We have lim-
ited resources and limited
capacity, so we really want to
reserve our ERs and our hos-
pitals for those people who
really need it,” Vieder added.
Vieder understands the
concerns of the community,
but stresses that the most
important aspect to take
away is that a majority of
COVID-19 cases are accom-
panied by mild or moderate
symptoms that will go away
in a couple of days.
“The vast majority, 97%-
98% or more, of people who
contract the coronavirus
will just have a mild, flu-like

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BEAUMONT

18 | MARCH 19 • 2020

Dr. Sandy
Vieder

What You Need
to Know

CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER

The coronavirus has thrown a
wrench in our daily lives. Schools,
synagogues, temples and Jewish
agencies are rushing to adapt to
health guidelines meant to slow
down the spread of the virus so it
doesn’
t overwhelm local hospitals.
We have compiled their actions
and messages to the public. (All
information was current at press
time, March 16, and may have
changed by the time you read this.
Visit thejewishnews.com, as well
as the official site of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention,
cdc.gov, for the most up-to-date
information.)

STATE OF EMERGENCY
On March 11, officials notified the
public that two Michigan residents
tested presumptive positive for the
coronavirus (COVID-19), the first
confirmed cases in the state. Gov.
Gretchen Whitmer declared a state
of emergency to slow the spread of
the virus. As of March 16, 53 peo-
ple in the state had been diagnosed
with the virus.
To prevent the spread of the
disease, people are encouraged to
wash their hands with soap and
water, avoid touching their faces
with unwashed hands, cover their
mouths and noses when sneezing
and coughing, practice social dis-
tancing and stay home and contact
their doctors if they feel ill.

UNIVERSITIES SUSPEND
FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES
All universities in the state have
suspended in-person classes,
Students should check for the
latest information on their school’
s
websites.
The resident halls and dining
facilities remain open at MSU.
U-M Hillel, MSU/HCAM Hillels
and Hillel of Metro Detroit Hillels
have suspended all in-person group
programs, services and classes

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