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Nechi had planned to spend only a couple of weeks at her fatherās south Florida home escaping the New Jersey winter. But after a few days in the warmth, she decided to stay. When cases of COVID-19 began to surge there, she was suddenly confronting a worrisome situation.
Nechi, 28, needed a doctorās appointment to continue getting medications to manage lupus, an autoimmune disorder. At the same time, she was at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 because of her compromised immune system and didnāt want to leave home and risk exposure.
āI was really worried,ā she says. āIām used to seeing a doctor every couple of months to monitor how Iām doing. I didnāt know what was going to happen.ā
Thatās when David P. Selzer, MD, a primary care doctor at °µĶųTV Langone Medical AssociatesāWest Palm Beach, explained that he offered video visits to safely care for patients. Nechi scheduled one using her and accessed the visit with Dr. Selzer through the °µĶųTV Langone Health app.
āThe video visit was a pleasant surprise. I loved that I could go into the °µĶųTV Langone Health app and choose a time that worked for me.āāNechi, Age 28
āHe thought of everything,ā she says. āHe made sure that the pharmacy supplied enough of my medications for 90 days so I could stay at home. Iāve never had such a good primary care doctor.ā
Nechi says the experience showed her the benefits of video doctor visits and the services that are available with telemedicine. āI didnāt realize how much you can do virtually,ā she says.