On a normal day at any pediatric practice, the waiting room would be hustling with kids running around and playing games in the waiting room, infants crying and yelling, and teens rapidly typing away on their phones. In the past few weeks, waiting rooms have been deserted. Every object in the room has been confiscated due to the risk of spreading the virus. Empty chairs everywhere and not a single young patient is seen.
Many private practices are struggling to stay alive during the time of the pandemic. Patient volume has drastically decreased. All checkups and regular doctor visits have been cancelled. Following the guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, all wellness appointments for young children such as infants and toddlers. During this time, this is a very standard protocol and guideline to follow by, however, parents are starting to fear bringing their children back to clinics. This creates a potential problem in the future.
Pediatric patients are still taking in patients but it has been cut down by almost 40 percent. The clinics are now set up for emergency sick patients. Pediatricians are more than willing to open and help out patients who need it, however, they must face a new reality. Revenues are crashing, shortage of personal protective equipment, and terrified parents and children. The welcoming pediatric office filled with warmth has now turned into an unsafe and terrifying place for parents and children. Amidst all of this, pediatricians must treat young patients that could have COVID-19 without displaying symptoms.
They have many serious issues coming with this new reality: not enough protective gear and the safety of patients. The US has never experienced a pandemic like this before. No one was prepared with the proper equipment and training to deal with this kind of situation. Pediatricians have had to make scary decisions about how to keep their staff safe and keeping their practices open. The problem of keeping staff safe has been a constant problem as COVID-19 has progressed. The safest option would be to shut down the practice, however that could have a devastating effect on employees as well.
All over the nation parents have been cancelling standard checkups and vaccinations for their children. They are worried that their children will contract an infection from going to the doctor’s office. It may not seem like a problem, but young children need be checked for development especially newborns. Without it, there are much more serious health concerns than just COVID-19. Pediatricians are worried about their patients and how this pandemic is affecting in other ways than just contracting the virus.
As Dr. Niki Saxena said, “If people stop going to the doctor altogether, then primary care practices will shutter just like movie theaters and restaurants.”
