KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A patient of a Kansas City, Missouri, infusion center says he's worried about his health after the facility failed to pre-screen him for symptoms of COVID-19.
The patient, who doesn't want to be identified, said he receives infusions for a drug that lowers his immune system at Kansas City Physician Partners on the Country Club Plaza every seven weeks.
According to the patient, the pre-screening process did not take place until he reached the front desk at his last appointment on March 6.
"Screening patients once they get to the front desk is unacceptable," he told 41 Action News. "We are the statistical percentage that is most at risk."
COVID-19 has been particularly hard on the elderly and people who have an underlying medical condition or weakened immune system.
Veneata Dowell, a spokesperson for Kansas City Physician Partners, said the office does pre-screenings through an automated system when a patient makes a new appointment. However, the policy was not implemented until after the patient's appointment.
Kansas City Physician Partners issued the following statement to 41 News:
"While new protocols have been implemented, the concerned patient wants the infusion center to place restrictions on people who've recently traveled overseas."
The patient told 41 Action News that he would like to see patients who have traveled recently wait to be seen.
"I think it's reasonable, if you have somebody that's traveled overseas, that they wait 14 days to be seen," the patient said. "There has to be a travel component there."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some people who contract COVID-19 never exhibit symptoms, while others may not show symptoms for up to 14 days.
The facility said it has posted a notice on entrance doors that note those who have a cough, difficulty breathing, a fever over 100.4 degrees and those who have "traveled to a hot zone or been around someone who has" should not come in and should reschedule appointments for 14 days.
