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Public Notice
Children ages 14 years and younger are not permitted in Cox South, Cox North, Cox Walnut Lawn, Cox Monett, all OB clinics and The Women's Center unless seeking treatment. Patients and families should call their physician's office for information regarding specific restrictions. Children ages 14 and under continue to represent more than half of the H1N1 cases in Greene County. Restricting their access helps safeguard your children, and our patients, employees and visitors. In addition to these measures, CoxHealth has temporarily suspended all Medical Explorers rotations within the health system beginning at 8 a.m. Oct. 28 until further notice. This includes Medical Explorers who are older than 14 and those who may have had vaccination against seasonal and H1N1 influenza. The November Medical Explorers meeting has also been cancelled. Thank you for respecting our request to protect our vulnerable patients so we may quickly assist their return to good health.
There are several things you can do to protect yourself, your family and the community from the flu. These include vaccinating yourself and your family, frequently washing your hands, and staying home (or keeping your kids home) if you are sick. For more information about ways to protect yourself and others, visit fighttheflumo.com. What CoxHealth is doing Be assured that CoxHealth is taking this flu season seriously. We are closely monitoring the situation and we are working with other local health providers to ensure a coordinated community response. Our infectious disease specialists are in touch with the CDC and Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, and are receiving frequent updates on the situation. We are and will continue to follow all applicable CDC guidelines. If you are a patient of a CoxHealth primary care physician, you should call that physician clinic and ask to be placed on the H1N1 vaccine list. Vaccine must first be distributed to those patients at highest risk of suffering complications from the H1N1 virus, as identified by the CDC. When you call, be prepared to answer a few basic health questions so staff can place you on the appropriate list according to your risk group. When vaccine for your group becomes available, you will be notified. CoxHealth clinics will receive a relatively small number of doses each week, so it may take some time before vaccine is available for all groups. You may be asked to come into the office to receive your vaccine on short notice. If you are not available when you are contacted, your name will remain on the list for the next available shipment. The vaccine administration fee will be filed with private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. Should the novel H1N1 virus circulate widely in our community, CoxHealth is prepared. We have pandemic plans in place, practice them on a regular basis and will activate these plans should it become necessary to do so. Staff and physicians are fully prepared to handle the situation, should it develop. CoxHealth also offers a Flu Hotline at 417/269-9500. Call this number to learn more about when to seek help and how to prevent the spread of influenza. Protect yourself To best protect yourself and your family this flu season, everyone who can should get the vaccine for seasonal flu and when available, the H1N1 vaccine. Establish healthy habits such as good hand washing, stay away from people who are sick and practice a healthy lifestyle - get plenty of sleep, choose healthy foods, exercise, etc. To learn more about the seasonal flu vaccine and who should be vaccinated, click here. To learn more about H1N1 vaccine and guidelines for who should receive it, click here. Symptoms Seasonal and H1N1 influenza are characterized by a sudden onset of illness with symptoms that include fever, sore throat, dry cough, body aches, stuffy or runny nose, chills and headache. A significant number of people who have been infected with the H1N1 virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. If you think you have the flu If you think you have the flu or a flu-like illness, call your doctor's office before going to the emergency room or urgent care center. Your doctor will be able to give guidance about your illness and what to do. If your symptoms are severe, your doctor may direct you to seek emergency or urgent medical help. If you are at risk for severe illness due to chronic health conditions, your doctor may also prescribe an antiviral medication for you. Most people with influenza do not need medical help or even a doctor's office visit. Plenty of fluids, rest, and over-the-counter medication to lower fever and reduce muscle aches are usually sufficient for recovery. Influenza illness usually lasts 5-7 days but it may take up to 2 weeks for full recovery. If you do not have a doctor, review the information and visit the links on this page to learn about caring for yourself and others and when to seek medical help. During your illness or your family's illness, avoid or limit contact with others to reduce the chance that the virus will spread to other people in your home and in the community. Contain coughs and sneezes in a tissue and wash your hands afterwards. Frequently disinfect surfaces that are commonly touched such as doorknobs and phones. If you need help locating a primary care physician in the CoxHealth system, call 417-269-INFO or click here to find a physician. When to get medical help For children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
For adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
If you have a scheduled test or procedure at CoxHealth If you develop new symptoms of fever with body aches, sore throat, or cough before you are scheduled to come to the hospital, please check with your physician. For your safety, your physician may decide to postpone your hospital visit. If you develop new symptoms of fever with body aches, sore throat, or cough before your appointment, please let us know so that we can check with your physician. For your safety, your physician may decide to postpone your appointment. If you want to see your physician for new symptoms of fever with body aches, sore throat or cough, please let us know so that we can schedule your visit appropriately. If you are visiting a patient at CoxHealth Visitors to healthcare facilities play an important role in maintaining patient health and safety. We have developed several tips designed to help keep you and our patients in the best possible health - during flu season and beyond. More information
For the most up-to-date information on seasonal flu and the novel H1N1 virus and vaccines for both types of flu, check out these online resources:
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