Frequently Asked Questions About the Coronavirus

Iora is committed to keeping our patients, team members and the greater community safe during this pandemic. We have implemented a number of processes and procedures, and are following the latest guidance from theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(the CDC) for medical practices and healthcare facilities to best protect you.

We’re caring for patients in-person, by video, or over the phone—whichever way you’re most comfortable.

For those patients coming in for an in-person visit, we are following strict guidance on face mask usage and limiting visitors that come. We still want to make sure that family and/or caregivers can join visits, but because of the heightened risk, we ask that they join by phone or video whenever possible.

Yes we are offering our current patients Rapid Flu and COVID testing. We are encouraging all Iora patients who have symptoms or are concerned about a recent exposure to please contact their care team directly and they can help you with the next steps.

We continue working with Local Departments of Health to make vaccines available at Iora. The number of doses we have on hand may vary by location and change from week to week. Please contact your care teams directly if you are interested in scheduling a vaccine appointment.

You can always search the national vaccine location finder for a vaccine near you:https://www.vaccines.gov/

Please contact your care teams directly if you are interested in scheduling a vaccine appointment.Please note the type of vaccine we will be providing at the clinic will be listed when scheduling. We will not be offering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at any of our locations.

If you aren’t able to get your booster with Iora, you can find a COVID-19 vaccine by:

• Searchvaccines.gov
• Text your ZIP code to 438829
• Call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you

Yes, it’s important that we have the most accurate patient record for you in order to provide you with great care. Please take a few minutes to let us know if you have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Contact your care team directly or send us a note through the Chirp patient portal to let us know your vaccine status.

If you are an Iora patient and do not feel well, contact us. As always, we are available 24/7 for our patients and want to hear from you.

The CDC has recentlyupdated guidance on quarantine and isolationfor individuals who have either been exposed to COVID-19 or tested positive for the virus.

Yes, we are accepting new patients. We’re caring for patients in-person, by video, or over the phone—whichever way you’re most comfortable.

We are limiting the number of visitors at our practice to reduce the chance of exposure to COVID-19. We encourage patients’ families and caregivers to join visits via phone or video. If your visitor is not able to join via phone or video, we are allowing one visitor per patient to attend the appointment. All visitors will be asked to follow the same screening and masking guidelines as our patients in order to physically attend.

Westronglyrecommend staying up to date with the CDC’s recommendedbooster scheduleas the most effective way to safely reduce your risk of complications from a COVID infection. For patients 50 years old and older, a second booster is recommended 4 or more months after the first. If you have any questions about the safety or effectiveness of booster shots, your care team at Iora will be glad to discuss them with you.

Over the past 2 years, we’ve seen several different variants (or strains) of the virus that causes COVID spread across the country. It’s normal for a virus like this to change over time, and it’s leading to an increasingly contagious virus. Luckily, our tools to fight the virus are staying ahead of these changes. Between the COVID vaccines and the antiviral treatments now available, everyone can access the tools to greatly reduce their risk of complications from COVID infections.

We recommend that all of our patients have a COVID plan in place with vaccinations, home test kits, and a plan for how to get access to antiviral medications in case they get infected.

All vaccines available to the public in the U.S., including COVID-19 vaccines, must go through the process of approval by the FDA. There are many strict protections in place, and scientists and doctors who study vaccines at the FDA, to help ensure that these COVID-19 vaccines are safe. This is to ensure ultimate safety and success for the general public.

While the vaccine may be relatively new, scientists have been studying similar vaccines for viruses like this coronavirus for many years now, which is one of the reasons they were able to move so quickly with COVID-19.

Iora is monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic very closely and keeping our patients informed through electronic announcements. If you wish to be included in these announcements, current patients maysign up online.

For the most updated and general information about the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommend viewing the latest directly on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Specifically we suggest theCDC’s Situation Summary,Guidance for Older Adults, andGuidance for Adults at High Risk.