SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) -- UC San Diego Health is offering virtual appointments for people that have tested positive for COVID-19, hoping to provide comfort and guidance as they recover from the virus at home.
The service is for those positive patients that don't require hospital care. Dr. Michele Ritter had the idea when a friend of a friend needed some guidance after testing positive for the disease.
The appointments are with infectious disease physicians that can help answer any questions or doubts and monitor a patient's recovery through video calls. They can also help determine whether a person's condition has worsened and if hospital care is needed.
The virtual team is made up of four infectious disease physicians, an infectious disease fellow, a nurse, and a nurse manager. Some patients are seen on daily basis while others are less frequent.
Ritter says if the patients have questions they are welcome to call for a virtual visit.
So far, the team has seen close to 100 patients.
Ritter explains that the team can also help patients figure out how to quarantine and how long they will need to do so. The team can also order any follow-up testing that could be appropriate and provide help for deciding when the patient can return to work.
There is no doctor referral needed to qualify for the virtual visits. However, you must have a positive COVID-19 test within the last seven days. Most insurances are accepted, unless your insurance is contracted with another hospital.
