Marilyn Young

When COVID-19 made its way to Florida last year, there were a lot of unknowns.

The symptoms changed often in the early weeks and months after the virus arrived here in March 2020. It was unclear why some people were more susceptible to the virus than others. And there wouldn’t be a vaccine for another nine months.

So much uncertainty naturally led to frustration, concern and even fear for the doctors and nurses trying to navigate those uneasy waters, including the staff at GuideWell Emergency Doctors. It tested them personally and professionally. But it also brought them closer together as a team. One where they leaned on and looked out for each other more than ever.

Those feelings don’t disappear when the worst of the crisis has faded. (The number of new daily cases in Florida has dropped from about 18,000 to 3,000.) They’re still here today, part of the fabric of a team that weathered the worst of a storm and came out stronger.

Men dressed in white lab coats, masks, and gloves knocked on doors in South Florida neighborhoods, claiming they were from a government health agency and wanted to come in to test residents for COVID-19.

Some people have received text messages saying they can get $1,000 as part of a federal COVID-19 stimulus program. All they have to do is click a link. And older adults have received robocalls offering to send free COVID-19 tests. The only thing needed to get the process started is the older adults’ Medicare member number.

Those are among the potential coronavirus-related scams that have been reported to the Florida Office of the Attorney General in the past few weeks. It’s not an unexpected development. In uncertain times, scammers turn out in full force to take advantage of people who are stressed out and fearful.

Irene Seidt hadn’t heard from one of her elderly diabetic patients in a while, so she reached out to check on him.

Seidt wanted to tell him that she and others in our retail centers were working from their homes due to COVID-19 concerns. She wanted to see if he was taking the precautions they had talked about. And she wanted him to know that although his wife passed away last year, he was not alone.

The 87-year-old man couldn’t believe Seidt had taken the time to reach out. That a nurse from his insurance company cared enough about him to do that. “I have no one,” he told Seidt. “But the fact that you called me means I have someone.”

Wendy Weiss knows it’s best to not get too close to her 83-year-old father right now. As COVID-19 cases continue to climb, keeping a safe distance will help older adults like her dad and his wife stay healthy.

So, when Weiss arrived at her father’s home with some chicken soup, she went to the door, set the soup down and walked away. Instead of sharing a hug, they settled for a wave from a distance.

Weiss is a registered nurse and director of care management in the Medicare department at our health insurance subsidiary, the leading health insurance company in Florida. For her, the gesture was about more than the soup. It was a way to check in with the couple. A way to let them know they’re not alone in these uncertain times.

The risk of contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains low, despite more cases being confirmed throughout the country.

So, what does that mean for you and your family? It’s a good time to focus on taking precautions to help keep you all from getting the virus. Frequently washing your hands with soap and water and avoiding people who are sick are among the most important ways to avoid being infected.

Most of the people who contract COVID-19 recover in a matter of days, oftentimes at home, according to health officials. There have been nearly 90 cases in the United States and two deaths in Washington state since the outbreak began in mainland China in December. Worldwide, there have been about 90,000 cases and more than 3,000 deaths as of March 3. Click here for a map with the latest updates.

Here are answers to some questions you may have.