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We are located off the northbound feeder of 59 in Sugar Land

Call or text us at 281-265-1001 to schedule an eye exam
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Home » What's New » COVID-19 Update!

COVID-19 Update!

Mar 17, 2020

Dear Patients,

As you know, the COVID-19 outbreak is currently affecting all of us both near and far and we wanted to give an update on the plan we have made for the office as we all band together to fight this outbreak.  All of us at Sugar Land Total Eye Care are completely committed to the health and safety of our patients and staff and will take every necessary precaution needed.  We plan on following the recommendations of the CDC and the local/state/federal governments and will update our plan as new guidance is released.  We will remain open for patient care as long as possible, but we will close the office if recommended by the authorities.

All patients who are currently experiencing or have experienced flu-like symptoms, shortness of breath, cough, fever, chills, sore throat in the past 2 weeks or had recent travel overseas to areas with significant outbreaks of COVID-19 in the past month will not be allowed to be seen and will be sent to the ER or PCP to screen for COVID-19 first.  We will be checking everyone’s temperature with an infrared thermometer as you come in and if you show a fever, we will ask that you leave and reschedule.  We hope that you understand that this is for the safety of everyone including other patients and the office staff/doctors.

Due to the current recommendation of no gatherings of more than 10 people and the practice of social distancing, we are taking several steps to implement this in our practice.

  1. We will be limiting the number of people present at the office at any given time to 10. This means that patients should do their best to minimize the number of people they bring with them to their appointment.  We will only allow 1 extra individual in the pretest/exam area with each patient.  Any others will need to remain in the car.
  2. We will be trying to limit our exams to patients with urgent or emergency vision and medical problems. If you lost/broke your glasses or ran out of contacts and don’t have a backup option, we will happily see you if we can or work out a temporary solution.  If you suffer an eye injury or are experiencing sudden changes in vision, flashes, floaters, or missing areas of vision, we will find a way to see you or get you to somewhere who can.
  3. If you feel like your vision is unchanged and are just wanting to make an appointment because of a reminder text or email, we ask that you wait to schedule until the main threat has passed.
  4. We strongly urge any patient in the high-risk demographics group (Age 60+ or very young, immunocompromised patients, etc.) to wait to schedule their non-emergent appointments until after the main threat has passed.
  5. If you are just picking up a glasses or contact lens order, please park outside and call the office and we can bring your items out to you. We can also mail your order to you if needed.
  6. We are implemented a temperature check for everyone who comes inside the office. We also ask that patients use hand sanitizer or go to the restroom and use soap and water to clean their hands when they come into the office and before trying on any frames.  We have both available in office for your use.
  7. We have implemented more thorough cleaning and disinfecting procedures for the surfaces that patients may come in contact with including countertops, pens, clipboards, and eyeglass frames among others. Everything touched by patients will be kept separate until cleaned and disinfected.
  8. Payments of co-pays may be done through our text to pay system to minimize credit card handoffs.
  9. We ask that new patients fill out their paperwork before arriving to the office. We will email the forms and you can fill them out at home and email them back or bring them with you to your appointment.

We have always had strict policies for maintaining a clean and safe environment for our patients.  We always carefully clean and disinfect all our office equipment between each patient.  We have soap, water, hand sanitizer, and Kleenex tissues available for everyone as needed.  Good hygiene is of the utmost importance and our doctors and staff will always follow the strictest protocols to keep you safe.

CDC information regarding the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19.

  • There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
  • The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.
  • The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.
    • Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
    • Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
  • These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

The CDC recommends that everyone practice the following:

  • Frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol content or higher.
  • Avoid touching your face especially your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. If you accidently touch those areas, immediately wash your hands and disinfect any surfaces you may have touched.
  • Cover your cough with a tissue or your elbow. Wash your hands and discard any tissues used immediately after.
  • Practice Social Distancing. Maintain a minimum of 3 to 6 feet between you and other individuals.  Avoid handshakes or other forms of contact.  Avoid individuals who are sick or may have been exposed to the virus.
  • Stay at home if you are experiencing any flu or cold like symptoms and seek medical care as directed by the CDC.

 

For more information, please visit the CDC website or the links below.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html

 

We thank you for your cooperation during this unexpected situation. We hope to resume normal operations as soon as possible and will do our best to keep you updated as more information comes out.  Please stay safe out there!

 

 

Thank you,

Jason Idiculla, OD

Somaira Zia, OD