ST. MARY'S COUNTY, Md. — MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital began erecting tents in its parking lot on Monday to prepare for a potential surge in hospital demand due to the coronavirus.
The St. Mary’s County hospital said in a statement that the tents would be outfitted “with the features needed to provide a safe environment” for patients, but that they would only be used if the hospital’s primary facilities were overwhelmed.
“Because of the social distancing and actions taken by our residents and businesses in the past several weeks, we now anticipate less of a surge than originally expected in our county,” said Dr. Meena Brewster, St. Mary’s County Health Officer, “We hope the medical tents will not be needed; however, given the difficulty predicting the impact of this virus, we want to be fully prepared to care for our residents should the need arise.”
As of Monday evening, Maryland had more than 13,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Of those, 107 have been reported in St. Mary’s County.
“Just as other hospitals throughout the country have continued to prepare for the spread of the virus, we, too, must be ready to face the potential surge head on using all of the tools and knowledge available to us,” said MedStar St. Mary’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stephen Michaels. “We wanted the public to know that these temporary structures are here if needed, but—based on the current trends—we are optimistic they will likely not be put into use.”
CORONAVIRUS 101
What precautions should you take?
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wear a mask if you have to make an essential trip outside
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are unavailable.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Reasons to leave your home under stay-at-home order:
- Grocery store trips
- Medical visits or trips to the pharmacy
- Travel to your essential job
- Exercise such as walks, hikes or bike rides
Commonly reported symptoms of COVID-19 infection include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Pneumonia
If you are sick or suspect you are infected, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends taking the followings steps:
- Stay home except to get medical care
- Avoid public areas, including work or school
- Avoid public transportation
- Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home
- Contact your doctor via telemedicine for more guidance