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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