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Coronavirus Resources & Information
Wellstar is committed to providing the world-class care Georgia needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, safely.
Wellstar COVID-19 Updates
We are keeping our communities up-to-date on the number of COVID-19 patients we are caring for throughout our 11 hospitals as well as the proportion of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated COVID-positive patients. Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is the number one way to prevent severe illness and death. Find a vaccination site near you at Vaccines.gov.
COVID-19 Visitation Policy Updates
As new variants of COVID-19 emerge and nationwide vaccination efforts continue, the pandemic is ever-evolving. Therefore, visitation policies at our hospitals, health parks and offices may vary by location and regionally.
For details about a specific location’s current visitation policy, view our Visitation Guidelines.
System-wide Safety Precautions
To ensure the health and safety of our patients and team members, we’ve put strict policies in place to prevent the spread of infections:
- Patients with COVID-19 are separated from the rest of the general patient population.
- Our updated visitor policy remains in effect, although from time to time changes may be made, so it is recommended that a potential visitor check the website if they are making plans to come to a Wellstar facility.
- Each person coming into a Wellstar facility will have their temperature checked and will be asked about their potential COVID-19 exposure.
- Each team member entering a Wellstar facility will have their temperature checked and will be asked about their potential COVID-19 exposure.
- Every visitor or patient is asked to bring a mask for their protection and to conserve PPE for healthcare team members.
- All social distancing guidelines are observed.
- If a person wishing to enter a Wellstar facility has symptoms consistent with respiratory illness, they will be provided a separate location to wait for treatment.
Get the COVID-19 Vaccine
As new variants of COVID-19 emerge, it’s important to remain vigilant. You can do your part to “stick it to COVID” and keep yourself and the community safe by getting vaccinated. The COVID-19 vaccine is available at a DPH location or your local retail pharmacy.
People should still take extra safety precautions such as proper hand-washing, disinfecting high touch surfaces and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses. Wellstar offers detailed prevention tips to keep our communities safe and healthy.
Latest Virus Information
For the most current and comprehensive information, please refer to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They have many tips and resources to help address questions.
How to Get Help
If you’re experiencing COVID-19 symptoms that become unmanageable, call the Wellstar location before you arrive. You can:
- Contact your primary care provider.
- Reach out to a Wellstar Urgent Care or Emergency Department.
- Consult with a medical professional via WellstarON, our virtual care portal.
Wellstar is dedicated to ensuring that the people and communities we serve are well-cared for. Keep in mind, the best defense against any viral infection includes:
- Frequent hand washing and sanitizing
- Disinfection of common areas regularly
- Cover a cough or sneeze with the bend of your elbow
- Avoid areas where there are active outbreaks
- Get the COVID-19 vaccine and seasonal flu shot when available
Monoclonal antibody therapy is administered by IV infusion. The antibodies in the treatment mimic your body’s natural response to COVID-19, helping to boost your immune system. This can help stop the virus from entering your cells, limiting the spread of infection and preventing your symptoms from progressing. Click here to learn more about Monoclonal antibody therapy.
Read related articles
Article
DPH Testing at Wellstar Paulding Urgent Care
The highly contagious Delta variant has caused a surge in COVID-19 cases and, along with it, a sharp rise in the demand for COVID-19 testing. To help meet the community’s needs, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is now conducting drive-through COVID-19 testing at Wellstar Paulding Urgent Care.
Hours of Operation
The DPH provides COVID-19 testing for people of all ages, and no appointment is necessary. The DPH drive-through site at Wellstar Paulding Urgent Care is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please note, this testing site is closed for holidays and in cases of inclement weather.
Directions for DPH Testing
Use the parking lot map below to find the right route for DPH testing:
For more information, visit our COVID-19 testing page.
Article
Unique Challenges for ECMO in this Pandemic
By Dr. Asif Saberi, Medical Director of Critical Care and ECMO at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center & Associate Professor of Medicine at Medical College of Georgia at Augusta State University
This wave of the pandemic is unique. We have learned a lot about COVID-19 as a disease, and we have more therapeutic options today than we did in the spring and summer of 2020. But the disease continues to humble us with its tenacity and increased deadliness with each new iteration or surge, and now with its onslaught on the young and the healthy, it is hitting us where it hurts the most.
As a system, we continue to struggle with limited human resources. There are not as many healthcare workers as we need and the steadfast warriors who have stayed at their posts through about 18 months of the pandemic are weary and burnout is high.
This is an important rate-limiting step in our ability to provide one specific therapy, viz., ECMO, which, for a significant number of young people in the extreme manifestation of the disease, is possibly the difference between life and death. At my institution, the phones have not stopped ringing and we maintain a long list of patients who need ECMO. The most heart-wrenching task for us is the daily sorting of our list, moving someone down and eventually off the list as their likelihood of benefit from ECMO and ultimately survival recedes with time.
This is a call to my colleagues in ECMO. Physicians, ECMO specialists, perfusionists, ethicists, and thinkers. As a breed, we are constantly thinking about solutions that are not in any book. Can we solve this problem?
Highlights
Boost Your GYN Health IQ
The month of September is Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month. The term “gynecological cancer” describes a group of cancers including endometrial (uterine) cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, vaginal cancer and vulvar cancer, among other rare types.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be more important than ever for women to brush up on their health IQ to help stay ahead of gynecological health issues. The more you know could potentially save your life one day.
The pandemic vs. women’s health
Dr. Jeffrey Hines, Chief of the Division of Wellstar Gynecologic Oncology, said the pandemic caused many women to skip important cervical cancer and breast cancer screenings.
The Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI), an independent, non-profit research institute found women’s health services were significantly affected in 2020 compared with 2019:
- HPV vaccines that prevent cervical cancer were down by 75%
- Mammograms and Pap smears that identify breast and cervical cancer in earlier, more treatable stages were down by nearly 80%
Unfortunately, women are already experiencing the consequences.
“There’s an uptick in cancer diagnoses with more advanced disease,” Dr. Hines said. “It’s so important that women realize that it’s safe to go to their providers to get their mammograms and Paps.”