A Safer Chiropractic Environment Upon the COVID-19 Pandemic
Guedea Chiropractic in San Pedro has new safety protocols that follow the guidelines provided by the CDC and our local health department. We have also implemented additional protective measures to protect our patients and staff from COVID-19. Although sanitizing and disinfecting our counters, tables, equipment, and objects in the office is surely effective, these measures are limited to the surface of the objects. Wearing masks helps block the airborne droplets from the nose and mouth and reduces the chance of a person to person exposure, but it’s limited to the capability of the masks.
Masks aren’t 100% effective in preventing the virus to be transmitted through the air. Similarly, wearing a face shield, hair cap, and sneeze guard can enhance the protection of our staff and patients. We believe there is more to do to further reduce exposure. We are also concerned with the prevention of droplet transmission in the air since studies have shown that the virus can be transmissible while suspended in air particles.
Protect in Place Following CDC Guidelines
Our chiropractor, Dr. Guedea, reached out to his friend Dr. Wong who has been practicing dentistry for more than 30 years in Santa Monica. Given that dentists and their staff work with a patients' mouth open and up close, dental care offices currently have very strict and specific requirements in place to provide a safe environment. Dr. Wong reviewed all of the protection protocols that he has modified and put in place to keep his office safe and keep everyone in his office protected.
One of the items that Dr. Wong highly recommended was medical-grade air purifiers. Dr. Wong went on to reaffirm Dr. Guedea’s thoughts on air transmission and explained that “H13 True HEPA” also known as medical-grade air filters, are suitable for removing air pollutants and have the ability to remove viral organisms from the air. The medical-grade HEPA filters can capture 99.9% of particles down to 0.1 microns.
Reducing Particles in the Air
The COVID-19 virus is close to the size of 0.1 microns, however, to be carried in the air it needs to “hitch a ride” and bond to something larger, such as air particles. As we know, the N95 mask can filter down to 0.3 microns and it has been proven to be efficient at blocking particles with the COVID-19 virus (See the Fact check article for additional information). Having these medical-grade H13 True HEPA filters will add an extra barrier against the virus and transmission.
The more particles that are removed from the air, the lower the chances the virus can be airborne. This was the moment that Dr. Guedea knew he needed to add these in our office as soon as possible. Dr. Wong showed us the air purifier models that he currently uses and how he placed each purifier in his office to achieve the most optimal result. After consulting with his friend, Dr. Guedea measured each room and ordered the air purifiers immediately.
Your Protection is Our Priority
We have installed medical-grade HEPA air purifiers to clean the air in every room including the lobby, treatment rooms, and therapy rooms. The purifiers are on all of the time during business hours. The feedback from our patients and staff has been phenomenal! Many patients have asked about them and we have received a great response. The air purifiers have added peace of mind when our patients come in for chiropractic treatment at Guedea Chiropractic in San Pedro, CA. Call us today at (310) 732-0029 if you have any questions or concerns.