Updated: 6/23/2020

Here you will find regular updates from our doctors and links to reliable resources to help keep you up to date with the COVID-19 situation. Any changes to practice procedures or hours of operation will also be posted here.

The contents of this page rely on information from the CDC, AAP, Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA).  We receive communication from these groups multiple times per day and are working to stay current and provide safe and appropriate advice and care to our patients.

Our Doors are Open!

At Peachtree Park Pediatrics we strive to deliver the highest quality care to your child and family.  We believe that a thorough in-person physical exam and the opportunity to share conversation together in the room are crucial to optimizing your child’s health.

We want to remind you that our doors are open! We are nearing the point in the year where many of our patients scramble to get their well-visits in before the start of school.

In the video below, the Peachtree Park doctors chime in on the importance of maintaining a regular check-up and immunization schedule. The video also highlights the many extra steps we are taking to ensure the safety of your child and family during your visit to our office. Take a look and get your appointment booked before the summer schedule fills up!

The Importance of Well-Child Visits – Even During a Pandemic!

When to be Seen at PPP

We are always happy to see your child in the office if you are concerned about their health.  However, with Flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses circulating, we want kids to stay safely at home if an office visit is not needed.  If your child has mild symptoms, our phone nurses will give you advice on homecare and let you know what to look for as signs that the illness is worsening and your child should be evaluated.  In general, children with respiratory illnesses can be managed at home if they are breathing comfortably, eating, sleeping and playing.  Fevers can be treated with Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen if your child is uncomfortable; if the fevers comes down with medicine and your child feels better (even temporarily) that is reassuring that the illness is unlikely to be serious.

Testing for COVID-19

Testing for the virus that causes COVID-19 has become more available.  We are requiring a TM visit before ordering virus testing so that your doctor can review with you and your child their exposure to COVID-19, the reasons for testing, the limitations of the tests themselves and how to interpret and act on the results (positive or negative).  If your child has a positive test at a retail-based clinic or other location, an in person or TM visit allows your MD to thoroughly discuss the meaning of a positive test and how to respond to keep your child and others healthy.

Recognizing the Symptoms

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta offers an online questionnaire you can use to help determine if your child’s illness is consistent with COVID-19, if testing is recommended, and if they can be managed at home or should be evaluated by our office:

COVID-19 Pediatric Assessment Tool

Most children with COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses can be comfortably managed at home.  If you have concerns about your child or are looking for homecare advice, please call our office.

Telemedicine at Peachtree Park Pediatrics

Peachtree Park Pediatrics began offering Telemedicine (TM) appointments in early April in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is no perfect supplement for the quality of care provided at an in-office visit, we believe that TM is an effective way to provide our patients with certain services. If our triage nurse feels your child’s need can be adequately addressed via Telemedicine, they will gladly help you schedule a TM visit with one of our physicians.

Telemedicine visits can be effective for managing the following conditions:

• Chronic conditions, such as ADHD, asthma, depression, and anxiety
• Behavioral and developmental concerns
• Some skin conditions

More on Telemedicine at Peachtree Park Pediatrics

During the early weeks of the pandemic, insurers lifted restrictions on TM and, in some cases, eliminated co-pays for TM visits.  They also agreed to pay physicians the same for TM visits as for in person visits.  If these policies continue, we will be able to continue offering TM at low or no cost to you.  Before scheduling a TM visit, please check with your individual insurance plan and see if a visit is covered and if you will have cost sharing like a copay or deductible.

During regular office hours, TM visits are scheduled by appointment.  Our phone nurses and MDs will determine if TM is right for your child’s visit.

Staying Safe

Like other respiratory viruses (Flu, RSV, colds), COVID-19 is spread by direct contact with saliva and other respiratory secretions.  Frequent hand washing is the best protection because it prevents any viruses that you have touched from entering your body through the nose, mouth or eyes.  If your child has any respiratory illness (cough, runny nose, congestion, fever, etc.) they should be isolated from others until the symptoms have resolved.

Recently the CDC updated information on their COVID-19 website under the heading of “Daily Life and Coping”:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/index.html

Here you will find the latest advice on how to be safe:

• At Home
• Errands and Going Out
• Caring for Children
• Stress and Coping
• Pets and Other Animals

How Do You Define “Close Contact?”

Contact tracing, one of the mainstays of controlling an infection, is ramping up in Georgia.  Typically, when someone is diagnosed with a contagious disease, they are asked to list everyone with whom they have been in close contact.  A useful definition of close contact is within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes.  Another way to think of it is someone is closer than 6 feet if the smoke from a cigarette they are smoking would bother you.

Managing Your Child’s “Exposure Budget”

Risk of infection with COVID-19 is cumulative, so encourage your child to think about their total level of exposure over the course of a week or month.  They can spend more of their “Exposure Budget” on high-priority activities and skip those that are less meaningful to them.  A Stanford Psychologist wrote “Don’t take risks where it’s not needed and make trade-offs that are congruent with your larger health needs and priorities.”  High risk exposures, like those indoors in poorly ventilated places, should be kept as brief as possible.  Learning to budget and allocate a limited resource (be it money or your potential virus exposure) is an excellent life skill.

We appreciate your understanding as we work to provide the best care and most current information to our patients and families.  Please get in touch with us if you have questions or concerns.