Are Medical Clinics Loosing Patients Because of Fear from Ebola?

I received the following e-mail from my "primary care provider" clinic in Raleigh, North Carolina. I thought I share it with you all. Are medical clinics concerned about patients not visiting their physicians of fear from "catching" Ebola virus? Perhaps, they are panicking. Just read their message and judge it by yourself:

"Wake Internal Medicine Consultants' goal is to provide Raleigh, NC and surrounding areas with quality medical care in a safe environment. At WIMC, we also have an interest in informing the public on medical issues and current events in the medical field.

WIMC has two Infection Control Officers and we are keeping up-to-date with the latest Ebola news through the Wake County Department of Health & Human Services, the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services and the Federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Information and recommendations are changing rapidly and many unknown factors related to the Ebola virus remain. In many ways, Ebola is not different from any other infectious disease that we encounter on a regular basis. Ebola is not airborne and is not spread by casual contact; but, it is transmitted by exposure to bodily fluids such as blood, sweat, urine, etc. We have always practiced the universal precautions such as use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, gloves, frequent hand washing, use of hand sanitizer and will continue to do so. In between patients, every table, counter, door knob, sink, etc. is cleaned with a solution proven to kill Ebola and to eliminate transmission of any diseases, viruses and/or bacteria. If nothing else, the Ebola scare has heightened everyone's awareness of the importance of adhering to these essential universal precautions.

As an additional safety measure, all WIMC phone agents responsible for booking appointments will be asking patients if they have traveled outside of the country in the last 30 days or have been in contact with anyone who has. If the patient answers yes to either question, one of our Infection Control Officers will get engaged for further telephone triage with the patient and medical staff at WIMC.

We take very seriously the health and safety of our patients and staff and make it a top priority. You can be certain we will remain diligent in emphasizing this point as we are confronted with circumstances like the Ebola virus scare.

Respectfully,

Wake Internal Medicine Consultants, Inc."