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Are Abortion Clinics Open In Orlando, Florida During The Coronavirus Pandemic?
A woman being able to have an abortion is a Constitutional right. Women in Florida and some States are finding it difficult to access Abortion Clinics and a few Physician’s private offices to undergo a termination of pregnancy during the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Pandemic.
Abortions are an urgent and in many cases an emergent service. Carrying out terminations of pregnancies are time-sensitive and in many cases, a one day delay may be detrimental to a woman’s mental or physical health.
The Women’s Center’s located in Orlando, Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale Florida are open and here to care and serve the women in the entire State of Florida, across the USA and the World during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Our In-Clinic and out-patient abortion services consists of surgical and medical abortion procedures from 3 to 24 weeks.
Our Abortion Pill procedures use the combination of Mifepristone (Mifeprex, Mifegyne, RU 486, French Pill) and Misoprostol (Cytotec). The process can be started and completed in 24 hours or less in 99% of patients with less than a 1% chance of complications or side effects.
What Have Our Abortion Clinics Done To Reduce The Spread Of the Neo Coronavirus To Our Employees And Patients?
We provide our employees and patients at our medical offices at each workstation and throughout our in-clinic buildings, easy access to infection control supplies such as hand sanitizers, soap and water stations in hallways and each examination room, medical masks, gloves, gowns, toilet tissue and paper towels.
We are not in any way suggesting that we can prevent passage of COVID-19 100%.
We believe we have guidelines in place that may significantly reduce and prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2. We believe our abortion clinics, to be highly safe.
Some of the steps that we have in place to reduce the human to human spread of the Coronavirus are the following:
- Thermometer Checks:
All patients undergo non-touch thermometer forehead checks. For patients who have temperature equal or greater than 99.9, we ask that they go see their medical physician or seek medical care and evaluation.
87% of patients who have COVID-19 symptoms have an elevated temperature.
- Face Mask:
Any protective face covering may reduce the spread of COVID 19.
The efficacy of face coverings and masks is between 5 to 95%. The efficacy depends on the material used and a proper seal around the mouth and nose to prevent seepage of the viral particles to reach the nose or mouth.
The CDC recommends a social distance of 6 feet be maintained between people whether outside or inside. If this cannot occur, the usage of facial covering should occur.
A recent medical study shows that a cough or sneeze may expel droplets of viral particles as far away as 27 feet. This includes large and small droplets that contain viral particles.
It is not known whether or not the aerosolized small viral particles that travel 27 feet may cause infection. Studies are being done to determine if this is the case.
The heaviest droplets in theory contain the highest number and concentration of viral particles with them not traveling further than 6 feet from the infected individual.
It is known that 80% of patients infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic. We also know that the highest rate of viral shedding occurs 0.7 days before the onset of any viral or flu symptoms (headache, elevated temperature, fatigue, muscle aches, shortness of breath).
It is mandatory in the State of Florida once leaving the home to wear a face mask.
It is required that anyone who enters the Women’s Center’s medical facilities to wear a medical face mask or some form of protective cloth that covers the individual’s nose and mouth.
Recent studies show that if every individual wore a face mask outside in public that in 100% of cases prevented the spread of COVID-19, the rate of transmission that is now 2.4 to 5, would drop to less than 1. It would lead to the eradication of the COVID-19 virus within a matter of months. It would require approximately 40% of the population to wear a mask.
We know that the efficacy of masks are not 100% successful in containing the virus. It depends on the type of material the mask is made out of and the seal of the mask on an individual’s face among several other factors.
Recent studies in the medical literature show that masks can reduce up to 95 to 100% the amount of viral aerosol and droplets particles being sprayed in the air by the COVID-19 virus while talking, breathing, coughing or sneezing.
Just one cough without mask protection can release over 200 billion viral particles in the air.
The aerosolized COVID-19 viral particles may remain in the air for up to 3 hours. It is not known if these small particles may lead to human to human infection.
It is known that larger viral droplets released in close contact to an uninfected human being, may lead to a high probability of the individual becoming infected if the viral particles come in contact with the mucus membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth.
The virus is able to replicate in the nose and the back of the throat with the highest viral shedding occurring the day before developing any evidence of he or she being sick.
With 80% of patients asymptomatic and the majority who develop symptoms (day 5 to day 14 after exposure to COVID 19) and knowing the highest rate of viral shedding occurs 0.7 days before symptoms, we now know why it is important that ALL people should wear a mask when going outside.
Wearing facial covering alone does not stop the spread of the COVID-19 infection.
The combination of a face covering along with washing hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitizer and practice social distancing of 2 meters (6 feet) or more will go a long way in reducing the spread of the Coronavirus.
- Hand Sanitizer and Washing Hands With Soap and Water:
Persistent washing of hands with soap and water and hand sanitizer in medical studies has shown a reduction in the spread of influenza virus by 0.71. This means there is a 29% reduction in the incidence of getting the flu.
There are foam non-touch isopropyl alcohol based sanitizer stations at the entrances of all doors and easily accessible bottles of hand sanitizer bottles throughout the Women’s Center’s buildings.
All patients and staff are highly encouraged to freely use hand sanitizer before and after touching any objects or surfaces.
Frequent washing of hands with regular soap and water is encouraged.
Washing hands with soap and water or alcohol based alcohol sanitizers for 20 to 30 seconds to include the back of the hands, the webs of each finger and under the fingernails has been found to not only wash the viral particles off your hands, but disables the virus from infecting humans in case of soap and water and kills it in the case of alcohol based hand sanitizers.
What is preferred? Hand Sanitizer or Soap and Water when attempting to prevent spread of COVID-19?
Washing one’s hands with soap and water is preferable over hand sanitizer if water is available.
- Disinfectants
There are numerous disinfectant agents that can be utilized to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi.
Staph aureus has been noted to live for several months on certain surfaces.
COVID-19 is known to stay alive on copper for just a few hours, cardboard for 24 hours, plastic and metal for up to 9 days. There was COVID-19 viral RNA noted on surfaces of the Princes Anne cruise ship 19 days after embarkation.
Covid 19 viral particles are able to live on surfaces for hours to days at a time. This means if anyone comes in contact with a contaminated viral surface, it is potentially a nidus to become infected.
The Women’s Center’s have always used an excellent cleaning and disinfection protocol to reduce the incidence and spread of human to human disease.
COVID-19 is not the most virulent virus as the death rate though unknown will be approximately 0.5 to 1%. The unknown factor regarding the death rate is the total number of overall cases. This number is largely unknown due to unable to adequately do routine testing to determine the number of active cases or those individuals have been exposed to the virus and have developed antibodies.
There are many cleaning supplies and disinfectants that are not available due to high demand. At the same time, there are many supplies that can be purchased at most and all grocery stores that can be purchased at grocery stores that are all EPA approved that kill COVID-19 on surfaces.
Disinfectants are chemicals that are actually utilized to apply to remain on surfaces from 30 seconds to 10 minutes (dwell time) that kill COVID-19 by destroying its viral envelope, protein spikes, or DNA damage. The latter occurs when using diluted Liquid Bleach.
A list of some disinfectants approved by the EPA that are available at local grocery or pharmacy stores are the following:
- Rubbing Isopropyl alcohol (60 to 91%)
- 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
- Windex Disinfectant Cleaner
- Comet Powder with Bleach
- Liquid Bleach
- Lysol Products
- 10% Malt Vinegar
- Cleaning Supplies:
Cleaning supplies are utilized to remove dirt, grease, dust, bacteria, fungi or viruses from surfaces.
This could be as simple as using soap and water or even Dawn dishwashing detergent that destroys the viral envelope. Once warm to hot water is mixed with the dishwashing liquid and applied to surfaces, the virus is no longer virulent.
In Summary;
Our In Clinic and Out-Patient Abortion Services located in Orlando, Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, are open during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Until there is an effective vaccine to prevent COVID 19, we must use protective measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
Our Women’s use proper safety measures and have implemented cleaning procedures to protect our employees, patients and visitors alike.
All employees and patients wear face coverings and handwashing with soap and water and the use of hand sanitizer is encouraged.
There is constant cleaning and disinfecting that occurs throughout our abortion clinics that aid in preventing passage of any environmental, viral or bacterial contamination.
We perform Surgical or Medical Abortions from 3 to 24 weeks in a highly safe and effective manner.
Private Abortion Appointments and VIP services can be arranged where there is minimal to no contact with other patients along with the ultimate in privacy.
Please call to make an appointment at 407-245-7999. We may be reached by email 24/7 at 24hourabortion@gmail.com
Dr James S Pendergraft | Orlando Women’s Center | Abortion Clinic Orlando
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