Coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions at Amarillo Medical Specialists
Amarillo Medical Specialists has worked to aggressively to prepare our staff and facilities for COVID 19. We want our services to remain easily accessible to you and your family.
Q) Where is the best source for current Coronavirus information?
A) Best overall sites are :
Amarillo Area Covid-19 Information
Texas Department of State Health Services (check on their map feature)
Amarillo Medical Specialists Covid Patient Manual
Q) Are you seeing a lot of patients with fever, cough, and aches right now?
A) As of mid November, are seeing an increase in activity compared to October 2021 which is concerning as we move into the holidays.
Q) Do you have Covid-19 Vaccine ?
A) Yes, we have Moderna vaccine available. You can call your AMS provider to check on the best time to come in for immunization or booster.
Q) I have an appointment this week. Is it safe to come in for a visit for a regular health check?
A) Yes. We are taking every precaution to keep our offices virus free.
We are scheduling sick patients at separate times, and cleaning the offices and office equipment multiple times during the day.
Masks are required on all patients and visitors, for the safety of our patients and staff.
We are happy to set up a televisit for you. Call your AMS doctor's office if you have any questions.
Q) I have a cough, fever, and feel achy, what should I do ?
A) If you develop symptoms such as fever, cough, and/or difficulty breathing, and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19, stay home and call your healthcare provider.
Call your doctor at our office for instructions. We can assess your situation and advise what to do. We can direct you for testing to the hospitals, or see you in the office, depending upon the details of your situation. For the safety of our staff and other patients, we are not seeing walk-in patients for respiratory illnesses.
We can schedule a Healow Televisit with our doctors or nurse practitioners quickly to assess your situation and provide advice. For more details on our Televisits, visit our Televisits page.
Older patients and individuals who have severe underlying medical conditions or are immunocompromised should contact their healthcare provider early, even if their illness is mild. If you have severe symptoms, such as persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, or bluish lips of face, contact our office or emergency room and seek care immediately. Your doctor will determine if you have signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and whether you should be tested.
Q) What are my testing options at Amarillo Medical Specialists? Do you have the test ?
A) For all the details about testing options, please visit our COVID 19 Test Options page.
We can test you in-house for Flu A, Flu B, and Strep A. These are remain active in the Amarillo area and many patients have these.
We have the equipment to perform the 5 minute ID-NOW test for Covid-19.
We began SEROLOGY blood testing for Covid 19 in April 2020. This test shows previous exposure to Coronavirus rather than an active infection. Since many people have few, or even no symptoms, this test will provide guidance for management of persons exposed. This is more specific for COVID, and will identify the exact amount of antibody. This will help guide the doctors to assess the level of immunity, and whether a person could be a plasma donor for a hospitalized COVID patient. This uses our Abbott i2000 IgG analyzer, which is a well established, trusted, American source.
For active infections at this time, the preferred test would be a molecular test such as the ID-NOW test or other nasal swab. Serology can be a useful supplemental test to avoid a false negative nasal swab test.
To document a recent infection that has cleared up, the serology test would be preferred.
Q) How long does Flu, Strep and Coronavirus testing take?
A) We do Flu A, Flu B, and Strep testing in house. These take 15 - 30 minutes from arrival in our lab at 1215 Coulter, and typically we have you wait until we know the result. If negative, we will want to test for Coronavirus.
The ID Now or Sofia nasal swab tests take 15 minutes in the lab. However we can only process one at a time, so we usually have the patient head home and we will call them back shortly with the results.
COVID 19 serology is done in our facility and usually has results returned the same day. This is a far more accurate method of testing antibodies than the rapid fingerstick tests, which have more false negative and false positive tests.
Q) If I convert to a televisit, how do I get my lab work done ?
A) You can come to our offices for a fast blood draw. If you prefer, you can wait in your car until your draw station is ready, and will will call you to come up and bypass the reception area,
Q) I am not currently a patient of any of the doctors at Amarillo Medical Specialists. Can I come in as a new patient if I have cough, fever, if think I could have coronavirus ?
A) The best option for you would be to be evaluated at the BSA or NWTH Emergency Room, or an Urgent Care Center such as CareXpress. They have have similar testing available. If your symptoms are mild, the City of Amarillo Department of Public Health has screening available. Their number is (806) 378-6300.
Our supplies of protective equipment and testing materials are adequate for our established patients, but we do not have capacity to see new patients for this complaint at this time.
Q) What are the plans if large numbers of people need to be checked for Coronavirus ?
A) The City of Amarillo Department of Public Health has screening available. Their number is (806) 378-6300.
Q) Do you make any report on Coronavirus to the government ?
A) Yes, we are reporting patients who we test, to the City of Amarillo Public Health department. It only includes basic information such as name and address, symptoms, underlying health conditions, recent travel, and known Covid-19 contacts. This is a requirement and HIPAA compliant for privacy. It enables the City Public Health department to know how much Coronavirus is in our city. If we were to receive a positive result, the city will need to work with you on identifying contacts who may need testing.
If you are tested for the Coronavirus molecular test , you will be required to self quarantine until we get a negative result.
This helps everyone in Amarillo stay healthier by limiting the spread of any Coronavirus.
Q) What are the usual treatments for Coronavirus / Covid 19 ?
Download our Covid-19 Manual here.
Most will require only medical supportive care. Most patients will need to take Tylenol for fever, push fluids, and maintain their nutrition at home. Coronavirus patients will to isolate for 10 days and need to have their fevers resolve for 24 hours before leaving isolation.
We will have telehealth visits to check on you at home via our Healow or Zoom system.
The decision to monitor you at home vs. in the hospital is made on a case by case basis. This decision is based on your specific situation, and degree of illness. Staying in touch with you (again, preferably by televisit) will be important in case your situation progresses to the point where you need closer monitoring in the hospital.
At this point no specific drugs are available for treatment, but we may elect to use one of the available medications or steroids to help. Several medications are available 'off label' at the discretion of your doctor and we are able to prescribe them.