Cleaning refers to the removal of germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces. Cleaning does not kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.

Disinfecting refers to using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.

• Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces daily in household common areas (e.g. tables, hard-backed chairs, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, handles, desks, toilets, sinks).
• In the bedroom/bathroom dedicated for an ill person: consider reducing cleaning frequency to as-needed (e.g., soiled items and surfaces) to avoid unnecessary contact with the ill person.
• As much as possible, an ill person should stay in a specific room and away from other people in their home, following home care guidance.
  The caregiver can provide personal cleaning supplies for an ill person’s room and bathroom, unless the room is occupied by child or another person for whom such supplies would not be appropriate. These supplies include tissues, paper towels, cleaners.
• If a separate bathroom is not available, the bathroom should be cleaned and disinfected after each use by an ill person. If this is not possible, the caregiver should wait as long as practical after use by an ill person to clean and disinfect the high-touch surfaces.

How to Clean and Disinfect

Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Throw away the gloves after each cleaning. If you use reusable gloves, they should only be used for cleaning and disinfection of surfaces for COVID-19. Clean hands immediately after gloves are removed.

Clean dirty surfaces using a detergent or soap and water before you disinfect them.

To disinfect, you can use diluted household bleach solutions or alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Make sure the cleaner is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.

Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
For soft or porous surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes, remove visible contamination if present directed by the manufacturer. If possible, wash items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely.

Washing the Laundry

If possible, wear disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry from an ill person. Throw away immediately. If using reusable gloves, those gloves should only be used for cleaning and disinfecting the area around a sick person. Do not use them for any other purpose. Wash hands immediately after gloves are removed. If you don’t have gloves, be sure to wash your hands immediately after handling the laundry.

Do not shake dirty laundry. Shaking could release the virus into the air.

Wash items as instructed by the manufacturer. Wash using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely. Dirty laundry from an ill person can be washed with other people’s items.

Clean and disinfect clothes hampers according to the above information. If possible, consider putting a disposable or washable bag liner in the hamper.

Hand Washing and Other Preventive Measures

Household members should wash hands often, including right after removing gloves and after contact with an ill person. Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol may be used. However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash with soap and water.

Household members should avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. People should wash their hands:

• After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After using the restroom
• Before eating or preparing food
• After contact with animals or pets
• Before and after providing routine care for another person who needs assistance (e.g. a child)

The sick person should eat or be fed in their room if possible. Non-disposable food service items used should be handled with gloves and washed with hot water or in a dishwasher. Remember to wash your hands after handling dirty dishes.

Have the sick person use one trash can that has a liner in it. Wear gloves when removing garbage bags or throwing away trash. Wash your hands after handling or disposing of trash.

In an effort to keep our patients well, we are not scheduling appointments for healthy people who are not experiencing flu-like symptoms at this time. If your health changes, or if you experience anxiety due to the coronavirus outbreak, please call us at (303) 650-4460.

Basic flu-prevention techniques will help you avoid the coronavirus. We recommend that you:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Wash your hands with soap and water regularly.
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers if you can’t wash your hand.
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home if you are sick (and keep sick children home from school).
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. If you use a tissue, wash your hands afterwards.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

To avoid possibly exposing healthy children and families to the coronavirus, we are delaying appointments for routine vaccinations (shots) for all well children. If your child is six months old or younger and due for vaccines, we will contact you to arrange for their shots as soon as possible.

The exception to this is for newborns. Infants who are 6-10 weeks old and have not received vaccinations since birth do need shots. Please call (303) 650-4460 or request an appointment on the front page of our web site and we will call you back.

The coronavirus is presenting an unprecedented challenge to our dental teams. We are taking extra precautions to assure that Clinica dental providers are helping control the spread of the virus. As of March 16, 2020, Clinica is not providing regular dental cleanings or exams. We are also discontinuing dental hygienist services in our medical clinics. We are only providing emergency dental care so that patients do not use hospital emergency room services for dental needs.

If you need emergency dental care and are not experiencing a fever, cough or shortness of breath, please call us at (303) 650-4460.

If you are experiencing a cough, fever or shortness of breath and have mild/moderate dental pain, consider taking an over the counter pain reliever. Follow instructions listed on the bottle. You can try ibuprofen (do NOT take Ibuprofen if you are pregnant) or Tylenol Extra Strength.

Once we resume normal business in our dental clinics, we will contact patients needing to reschedule appointments.

While our dental services are limited, it’s important to keep your teeth healthy.
• Brush twice a day for two minutes.
• Floss daily.
• If you have been prescribed a prescription toothpaste (Prevident 5000) by your dentist, please use it every night. Brush for two minutes, spit out excess toothpaste and do NOT rinse with water afterwards.
• If you or a family member is sick, soak your toothbrush in an alcohol-based mouth rinse.
• Never share your toothbrush!

Clinica’s pharmacies are open. Please call (720) 207-0150 to request a prescription refill. If you have any other questions about medications, please call us at (303) 650-4460.

Call the pharmacy where you last had your prescription filled to find out how they are handling medication refills during the coronavirus outbreak. If you run into difficulties, please call us at (303) 650-4460.

Hunger Free Colorado

Many food banks in Boulder, Broomfield and Adams counties are open and providing groceries to those hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak. Hunger Free Colorado can help you find a food bank close to you, assist with SNAP and WIC applications, meal sites, nutrition information and more . Click here.

We understand that Clinica’s patients need more than health care to get through this difficult time. You can find resources for housing, pets, legal assistance, crisis assistance, other service providers and more at the following locations.

Mile High United Way 2-1-1

Call 2-1-1- or click here to go to their web site.

Boulder County Families & Adults

Click here for energy, food, housing and other assistance in Boulder County.

Adams County Human Services

Click here for information about food assistance, Head Start, veterans programs and more in Adams County.

Broomfield County

Click here for food, housing services and job opportunities available in Broomfield County.

Dear Clinica Patients and Communities:
Clinica Family Health is no longer providing coronavirus testing to the general public due to the limited number of test kits available. The best way to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and keep everyone safe is to practice social distancing (stay at least 6 feet away from others). If you are experiencing a cough, fever or shortness of breath, please stay home and call us at (303) 650-4460 or request an appointment using the “Manage My Care” buttons below. A medical team member will call you back.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is encouraging people to not go to emergency rooms for coronavirus testing unless you are experiencing severe respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. In case of a medical emergency, please dial 911.

And as Clinica’s president and CEO reminded our staff, make time to take care of yourself. Rest. Find opportunities to laugh. Appreciate quiet time. Breathe. And get outside as much as possible.

Clinica is here to support our communities during this difficult time. We care about you.

The coronavirus outbreak is a rapidly changing situation, and the staff of Clinica Family Health are working hard to stay in front of this outbreak.
Providing information to our patients and the community is vitally important, so we will post regular updates here on our web site. You can find previous posts and additional information about Clinica’s response to the coronavirus by clicking the link below.Important changes that you need to know about:

• New hours of operation at all Clinica facilities: Monday-Friday, 8am to 5pm (no lunch closure).
• To minimize the risk of infection, we are not making appointments for healthy patients. Please call us at (303) 650-4460 if you have questions or concerns about your health.
• If you are feeling sick or anxious about the coronavirus, please contact us before coming to one of our clinics. You can call us at (303) 650-4460 or use the link below to request an appointment.

The following programs are closed or cancelled:
— Ryan Wellness Center medical clinic
— Walk-in clinics
— Financial Screening/ Enrollment
— Homeless outreach
— Thornton High School dental services
— Clinica’s dental clinics are seeing only healthy patients with dental emergencies (all cleanings and regular check-ups are cancelled until further notice)

We are grateful to our staff for their hard work and willingness to care for the sick members of our community. We are also grateful for our many partners who have helped us get prepared to battle the coronavirus. We want to send a special thank you to Morrell Printing Solutions and Fast Signs in Broomfield for opening their shops on Sunday afternoon to provide us with the signs we needed to safely direct patient traffic.

Clinica is here to help during this crisis. Wash your hands, and stay well.

Clinica Coronavirus Update
Mar. 16, 2020
In an effort to protect the safety of our patients, staff and communities, all Clinica Family Health locations are shifting operations to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. As of March 16, 2020, we are asking all healthy patients to not visit our clinics. We are doing this because, as a community health center, we want to help slow the spread of the virus, protect the vulnerable members of our community and protect the local healthcare infrastructure. At the same time, our staff are working continuously to make sure you have the heath care you need (such as access to medications). At the same time, our staff are working continuously to make sure you have access to the regular health care you need, like access to medications.

If you are sick (experiencing a fever, cough, shortness of breath or other flu-like symptoms) or are experiencing anxiety due to this outbreak, please call us at (303) 650-4460. You can also use the “Manage My Care” button below to request a sick appointment. Click on “request an appointment.” In case of an emergency, please call 911.

Also in response to the coronavirus, we are changing our hours of operation to 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. We will not be closed for lunch.

This situation is changing rapidly. We will be updating our web site regularly. Please share this message with friends, family and neighbors. We understand that this is a stressful time. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need us.

Stay well!

COVID-19 (the coronavirus) is now active in Colorado. Below is a link to the most recent information about the virus released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Just like protecting yourself and your family from the flu, basic infection control is your best protection.

Wash your hands often, for 20 seconds or more, with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. Dry thoroughly with either paper towels or air dryer.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Watch for these symptoms: runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, fever and a general ill feeling.

IMPORTANT: If you are experiencing a fever, cough, shortness of breath or other flu-like symptoms and want to be seen by a medical provider, please call Clinica at (303) 650-4460 to speak with a staff member before coming to one of our clinics.

For more information, visit the CDC’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Please take a minute to view one of these videos from Gov. Jared Polis about how to stay well now that the coronavirus is in Colorado.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are closely monitoring the coronavirus. Their web site has information on how to protect yourself and those around you from getting the virus, determining if your risk, and useful general information. Click here to go to the CDC’s web site.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has information about how Colorado is meeting the challenges of the coronavirus. Click here to go to the CDPHE’s web site.

Boulder County Public Health and the Tri-County Health Department are working to control the coronavirus at the local level.

Click here for Boulder County Public Health’s web site.

Click here for the Tri-County Health Department’s web site.