COVID-19 FAQs: How to minimize COVID-19 exposure in your practice

Keeping your staff, clients, patients, and self safe during COVID-19 is crucial. Read below for best practices on how to minimize exposure in your practice.

• What recommendations does the state of Colorado offer for minimizing exposure in my practice? 
  • In a public health order issued April 27, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) directs veterinarians to follow these steps to minimize exposure to COVID-19.
    • Implement patient scheduling to provide for social distancing, enhanced cleaning, sufficient time to change PPE, and to minimize aerosol contamination.
    • Implement prescreening of clients and pets for COVID-19 symptoms by telehealth if possible.
    • Continue to maximize telehealth and virtual office visits as much as possible.
    • Implement curbside or drop-off appointments for pets or patient treatment supplies to reduce risk to exposure to COVID-19.
    • If clients must enter the practice, provide ample social distancing of 6 feet in waiting rooms, small spaces, and patient or pet care areas.
    • Implement online payment and billing when possible.
    • Implement a universal symptom screening process for all staff, patients, and visitors upon arrival to the facility, and screening for pets prior to the initiation of treatment. A sample form can be found here.
    • Implement an enhanced cleaning process, including strict infection control policies as recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in patient or pet care areas, waiting areas, and for other high touch surfaces.
    • Provide staff with individual workspaces and equipment to avoid sharing desks and work tools when possible; if these surfaces or items must be shared, ensure frequent disinfection.
    • Implement viable methods to eliminate, reduce, or contain aerosol production during care, including but not limited to prophylactic preventive treatment, delaying all non-urgent care for patients with COVID-19 symptoms, and selectively canceling or postponing voluntary or elective surgeries and procedures.
    • Additionally, due to the statewide recommendation to wear masks when out in public, veterinary professionals must wear masks and should advise clients to wear masks when they are interacting with members of the practice team as well.
    • Because there is no vaccine available to prevent COVID-19, the best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure to the virus and to follow strict handwashing and hygiene protocols.
• How can I communicate with clients prior to the appointment to let them know we are not permitting clients inside the practice?
  • Tip from a CVMA member! When you call the owner to confirm the appointment, tell them NOT to come in the lobby. Ask them to call or text a point person on your staff when they arrive. Put signs in front of parking with the phone numbers if they are not able to write it down when speaking with you. When the client arrives, ask them to stay in the car and send a staff member out to the car to retrieve the animal.
• How can I keep pets safe as I transport them into the clinic from the parking lot?
  • Tip from a CVMA member! When retrieving a dog from the client, use a slip leash along with the owner’s leash so the dog does not slip out of its collar in the parking lot and get loose. Be careful when opening the car door — open slowly and make sure you have a hold of the dog and the slip leash is on the animal before is leaves the car.
• Other resources
  • Guidance for managing veterinary employees with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 exposure or disease (AVMA)
  • Protecting your team during the pandemic (AVMA)
  • Cleaning guidance for COVID-19 (CDPHE)
  • Coronavirus owner contact guidelines (Clinician’s Brief)
  • What to do if you are sick (CDC)
  • Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment handout for veterinarians (CDPHE)
  • COVID-19 resource center for veterinarians (AVMA)
  • FAQs for veterinarians and veterinary hospitals (AVMA)
  • What veterinarians need to know (AVMA)
  • Tips for protecting yourself and your staff (Veterinary Practice News)