AUC Clinic Prepares To Fight COVID-19

By: Neda Hamed and Ahmed Tarek

Dr. Mohamed Amin, director of the Office of Medical Services, earlier confirmed that there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections on campus and that the Ministry of Health constantly provides the public with updates on the cases, now setting a nation-wide quarantine at all hospitals.

“You should have a medical check up if you had just come from a known hotspot of the virus, or came in contact with anyone who has,” Amin said. 

As a precautionary measure, the Office of Medical Services designated a specific examination room to serve as a flu clinic for any suspected cases. The room is continuously disinfected and all its physicians and nurses are trained to follow international protocols in dealing with suspected cases.

“In case of experiencing any symptoms, the person should go to the nearest medical physician and inform the medical office of his or her health condition. Signs and symptoms of infection include fever, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia,” says the Office of Medical Services. 

During a visit to the AUC Clinic on March 11, The Caravan was told that trained medical staff and equipment will detect any suspicious symptoms that students may exhibit when they come in for a checkup. 

And the doctors and nurses are always on the lookout for COVID-19 symptoms.

During our visit, nurses wearing surgical masks and protective clothing received a number of students who were there to check on headaches and other ailments. No student within a two-hour period came in to ask to be checked for the COVID-19 CoronaVirus.

Following normal procedures, students sign their names and IDs at the welcome desk, and include the reason for their visit.

“We check on everyone’s blood pressure, and temperature. It is mandatory,” said nurse Ahmed Said, adding that taking such measurements is a very crucial step taken to check on CoronaVirus. 

Not too many people come in to inquire about the CoronaVirus, Said told The Caravan. 

The Clinic, however, does get emergency calls from the community seeking answers to some commonly asked questions about the coronavirus, said Sarah Ahmed, another AUC Clinic nurse.

Nurse Omaima Gomaa confirmed that as of March 11, no community member had been transferred to a local hospital on suspicion of having contracted the COVID-19 virus.

Should someone come into the clinic exhibiting coronavirus symptoms, the doctors and nurses move them to the designated examination room.

“The clinic provides spaces for the conditions that are being checked beyond temperature and blood pressure,” said Bassel Gamil, a physician at the clinic. 

Those who appear to likely be carrying the virus, Gamil said, are immediately transferred to hospital for further tests.

For community members still operating on campus, hand sanitizers and disinfectants (Sterillium) were installed across both campuses as well as on AUC buses, and the frequency of cleaning and sterilizing surfaces throughout campus has been increased.