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Omicron Surge Information for Patients
Updated on 1/14/22
Some of our patients have concerns about the increase in COVID-19 cases due to the current Omicron surge. Below are some frequently asked questions related to the surge. We are here to provide you with the safest, highest quality care and will continue to update this page as the situation develops.
COVID-19 TESTING
If you think you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 or have possible symptoms (headache, sore throat, fever or other cold like symptoms), please follow CDC guidelines for exposure. If you test positive with an at-home antigen test and have mild or moderate symptoms, you should assume you have COVID-19 and isolate according to CDC guidance. Please contact your primary care physician for additional guidance related to your care.
PCR testing is available to the public and Stanford Health Care patients at sites across the Bay Area. For a full list of Stanford Health Care’s testing sites, please click here. Appointments are preferred and prioritized over drop-in patients. For additional testing locations in the community, visit Testing (ca.gov).
Please only go to the Stanford Emergency Department for a COVID-19 test if you are experiencing a medical emergency.
The Omicron variant is demonstrating the value of rapid antigen testing (self-swab home testing kits) to determine a person’s infectiousness, a key factor in reducing transmission between individuals. While the PCR test remains the gold standard to diagnose and/or rule out COVID-19 with a single test, rapid antigen testing provides another critical risk management tool with the Omicron variant. If you take a rapid antigen test (home test) and it is positive, you should consider yourself positive for COVID-19 and follow CDC isolation protocols.
If you have an upcoming procedure scheduled at Stanford Health Care, your medical team will contact you and advise how to test before your procedure. If you are scheduled for surgery, your pre-operative care team will arrange your COVID-19 test. If you do not receive a phone call following the test, that means your test was negative for COVID-19.
SAFETY AT STANFORD HEALTH CARE
It is safe to come to Stanford’s hospitals and clinics for care. In fact, because of the many safety precautions we take at Stanford Health Care, being in the hospital and clinics is safer than being in the general community.
Fortunately, Stanford Health Care has a large workforce and is not in a situation to have to adopt the state’s policy temporarily waiving isolation protocols for health care workers. Our employees who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for at least five days and, if they wish to return before a 10-day isolation is complete, they must test negative before returning to work.
Approximately 5% of Stanford Health Care’s total workforce (including non-patient care) has been out due to illness or quarantine. To ensure the safest environment and staffing, we have begun temporarily delaying some non-emergent procedures. Please contact your care team for more information as it relates to your specific procedure.
COVID-19 VACCINE AND BOOSTER
Vaccination and boosters remain one of our most effective tools to prevent severe illness and death from COVID-19. If you would like to schedule a vaccination appointment, please click here. Masking, hand hygiene and social distancing are other ways to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.