President’s Message – March 2020

Governor Ned Lamont, Senator Chris Murphy and Senator Richard Blumenthal hosted a community forum on COVID-19 last Friday at the Milford Campus of Bridgeport Hospital

Dear Valued Friend of the Bridgeport Hospital Foundation:

We have heard from many of you with questions and concerns about COVID-19, commonly known as the novel Coronavirus originating in mainland China. Bridgeport Hospital and the Foundation, as integral members of Yale New Haven Health, have a long history of being the trusted resource in healthcare in the Greater Bridgeport community and we wanted to reach out proactively with some information.

At this time, COVID-19 is not spreading widely in the community in the United States and the risk of contracting the virus in the U.S. and in Connecticut is low. According to Zane Saul, MD, chief of infectious diseases at Bridgeport Hospital, “At Bridgeport Hospital and throughout Yale New Haven Health, we have learned a great deal over the years about screening for viruses like SARS and Ebola. We have developed a comprehensive evaluation protocol for patients experiencing symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections. These protective measures are in alignment with CT Department of Health (DPH) and federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. We have expanded the screening to include our urgent care centers and physician offices as well as our Emergency Departments. If you have traveled in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Italy, Iran, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore during the past two weeks and are now ill with a possible respiratory tract infection, please call your doctor, or a nearby medical clinic, first so that you can be cared for in a safe manner.”

With respect to travel restrictions, Dr. Saul explains that “currently the CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China, South Korea, Iran and Italy, with more limited precautions for Japan and Hong Kong.” Please visit https://www.ynhhs.org/patient-care/urgent-care/flu-or-coronavirus or call our 24-hour Yale New Haven Health Coronavirus information line at (203) 863-4500 to learn more. The phone message is updated daily in English, Spanish and Chinese.

Thank you for trusting Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Health to be your family’s healthcare provider.