COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information

Keeping Us All Safe

It's important to continue taking preventive actions to limit the spread of COVID-19.

We're doing everything we can to provide safe care, including offering safety measures in our offices, virtual visits, and more. Whether you need to visit the ED for an emergency or you're coming in for a visit, we assure you that we are taking detailed measures to keep you safe.

Precautions include:

Limiting visitors (following CDC, DPH, and state guidelines)
Requiring masks for all patients and visitors
Cleaning rigorously
Screening patients and visitors for COVID-19 symptoms
Providing caregivers with essential PPE
Practicing physical distancing
Designating areas in our emergency departments for patients with suspected COVID-19
Educating our staff continually on COVID-19 prevention

Re-imagining How We Provide Care

It is a privilege to care for you. To ensure safety, we are offering both in person and virtual appointments. Learn more about what to expect.

COVID-19 Guidance

If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, there are now multiple treatment options available to you (depending on eligibility and supply). Learn more about what to do depending on your situation:

What to Do:

Policy Updates

Visitor policy: To ensure safety, we have changed our visitor policy based on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s tiered guidelines.
Staying in the hospital: Updated guidelines for patients.
Birthing policy: Birthing partners may remain with the patient until discharge. Learn more.

COVID-19 Treatment

What is the Treatment for COVID-19?

Most patients who test positive will not require hospitalization and can recover at home.

Patients who do need inpatient care will receive care in isolation once admitted to a hospital. Multiple areas within Baystate Health are safely housing COVID-19 patients, providing appropriate isolation to help prevent spread of the virus.

Learn how to refer a patient for COVID-19 treatment.

There are also outpatient treatment options. Current treatment options, based on clinical studies and Emergency Authorization Use or Expanded Access approvals from the FDA, include both IV and oral treatment options:

1. Paxlovid: An oral antiviral that has excellent efficacy and safety data—must be given within 5 days of symptom onset. Learn more.

2. Remdesivir: An IV therapy, originally authorized to treat hospitalized patients with COVID pneumonia, is now used off-label for treating outpatients within 7 days of symptom onset—requires IV infusion over 3 consecutive days. Learn more.

3. Molnupiravir: An oral antiviral that has marginal efficacy data and safety concerns regarding reproductive toxicity—must be given within 5 days of symptom onset.(Not currently offered at Baystate Health)

Learn more about what to do if you test positive with COVID-19.

Prevention

In addition to taking everyday preventive measures like getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, and testing, there are therapies available (known as pre-exposure prophylaxis).

Evusheld: A preventive monoclonal antibody therapy for certain high-risk individuals that can help protect against COVID-19 before exposure happens. Evusheld is given in a series of two injections on after the other every six months.

Refer a patient for treatment or preventive therapy.

Virtual Care

We offer virtual care options for all Baystate Health patients, including telehealth phone calls and video chats with providers and secure messaging through the MyBaystate patient portal.

What should I expect during a virtual appointment?

With virtual care, you can talk with your provider in real time from the comfort of your home. During your virtual appointment, your provider will:

Talk with you about your symptoms and conditions
Review your medical history, answer your questions, diagnose your symptoms, and prescribe medicines as needed

Learn more and make an appointment

In-Person Care

In our effort to keep us all safe, we are transitioning to virtual care visits whenever possible. If you have an in-office visit scheduled, we urge you to please check our current visitor and care partner policy. For all our safety and in following state guidelines, please wear your mask to your healthcare appointment.

While we have expanded our use of telehealth for many appointments, we are still safely seeing patients in person as needed.

What will my visit look like?

Whenever possible, we will reduce physical and face-to-face interactions. That means you may be asked to provide insurance or copayment information on the phone before your appointment. It also means that you may be offered a telehealth visit instead of an in-person visit.

Your provider’s office will guide you through your options and steps.

How do I check in for my appointment?

Depending on your situation, you might have a virtual check-in, you might wait in your car, or you might sit in a waiting room. Often, we can escort you directly to the exam room and skip the waiting room altogether.

How do waiting rooms look different?

Windows or plexiglass barriers have been installed at registration desks
No magazines or pamphlets
Reduced seating
Everyone is required to wear a mask

See below for more about our safety procedures including cleaning, screening, and safe distancing.

Testing

You can find a testing location near your zipcode by searching on Mass.Gov. At Baystate Health, we offer testing for COVID-19 by referral and appointment only—please do not walk into our locations to be tested if you do not have an appointment.

See where and how to get tested

Vaccine

If you're eligible and need to make an appointment, you can do so through Mass.Gov.

Learn about the COVID-19 vaccines and what to expect.

CDC Guidelines

How is Baystate cleaning to reduce the risk of infection?

We follow all guidelines set forth by the state and federal government. Additionally, we adhere to our own strict standards of cleaning, screening, wearing masks and physical distancing (or social distancing):

We clean our hands and surfaces frequently and rigorously, including public high-touch areas like doorknobs and waiting room surfaces.
We clean our exam rooms after every patient with cleansers that are effective against all common infectious germs, including COVID-19.
We provide hand sanitizer and ask patients and visitors to use it upon entering our buildings.
We have made changes to increase fresh air intake and filtration of air.
We have replaced carpet with tile for ease of cleaning.

To ensure your safety and the safety of others, we ask that you follow all guidelines including wearing a mask, cleaning your hands, and maintaining distance from other people.

What screening procedures should patients expect?

We are screening all patients and staff for COVID-19 symptoms. If you have symptoms, you will be referred to your primary care provider or urgent care to help you schedule a testing appointment.

All employees with COVID-19 symptoms must stay home until their symptoms have resolved.

What happens if I go to the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms?

If you are admitted to the hospital through the emergency department, you will be screened and then tested for COVID-19 (with results in about 8 hours) if you have symptoms.

You will not be allowed into the hospital unless you have symptoms that require immediate emergency medical attention, including but not limited to:

Trouble breathing
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
New confusion or inability to arouse
Bluish lips or face

Who can get tested for COVID-19?

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms and a referral from a primary care or urgent care provider can be tested for COVID-19.

What are the rules for safe distancing in Baystate facilities?

We ask all employees and patients to follow safe distancing guidelines (keeping a distance of at least 6 feet) whenever possible.

What changes can I expect to facilitate physical distancing?

You may see fewer staff in our facilities.
We are requiring masks for providers and patients.
We have redesigned our spaces to ensure physical distancing in our waiting and care areas.
We are installing physical barriers (plexiglass at registration) to protect employees and patients entering our facilities.

We ask that you help us all stay safe by:

Adhering to our notices and signs for safe distancing including markers on where to stand.
Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet from other patients in waiting areas.
Attending appointments alone (with the exception of parents/guardians and necessary caregivers)

Are patients and providers required to wear masks?

To best protect you and our caregivers, Baystate Health requires all patients and visitors to wear masks issued by Baystate Health (like the ones currently distributed at our entrances) rather than a mask brought from home. There is no charge for the masks and they will be available at the COVID-19 screening tables at our hospital entrances.

We Require Masks