Nursing instructor: Knowing medical history helps COVID-19 screening

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Like most health care professionals, Monique Gary, an instructor in the College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, has repeatedly advocated for measures such as frequent hand washing and social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak.

She小蝌蚪APP檚 adding another bit of advice to help stem the spread of COVID-19. 小蝌蚪APP淢ore than ever, it小蝌蚪APP檚 important for people to familiarize themselves with their medical histories, and to know which medications they are taking.小蝌蚪APP

It小蝌蚪APP檚 an observation she made recently while volunteering during drive-thru coronavirus screenings at the Cajundome. Gary is one of several faculty members from the college who have donated time and expertise since the screenings began about two weeks ago.

Gary was among a group of health care professionals who asked visitors questions to determine if they were eligible for testing.

小蝌蚪APP淚 was surprised at some of the basic things people didn小蝌蚪APP檛 know about themselves,小蝌蚪APP she said.

Medical histories help health care professionals make determinations about potential underlying conditions that might necessitate testing. 小蝌蚪APP淚f someone is on medication for hypertension, for example, they might have a history of cardiac problems,小蝌蚪APP Gary explained.

Testing at the site is limited to people who are experiencing a temperature above 100.4 degrees or acute respiratory illness symptoms, such as coughing and shortness of breath. Others eligible for testing include the elderly and people with health conditions or compromised immune systems.

The drive-thru screenings are held daily from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Cajundome, 444 Cajundome Blvd.

Call 311 to determine if you meet screening criteria. More information is available at the

Graphic credit: 小蝌蚪APP