Coronavirus and COVID-19: Information for You and Your Patients (Link Active)

Coronavirus and COVID-19: Information for You and Your Patients (Patient Letter Link Now Active)

As you know, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, to be a pandemic. This is a scary and unprecedented time, but we firmly believe that the chiropractic profession can be the leaders in their communities on this issue by providing information based on the facts, not fear.

This public health crisis has set into motion a series of decisions by federal, state, and local governments hoping to contain its spread, including such actions as closing K-12 schools, closing bars and restaurants, banning large gatherings, etc.

As your state association, it is our duty to keep you informed and protected during this time, and we are doing everything in our power to provide you with the tools you can use to remain the critical health care resource your patients and community need.

Yours in Health,

MAC Executive Committee

Governor Whitmer Executive Order 2020-9
As you know, Governor Whitmer, in an Executive Order today, ordered the following places of public accommodation closed as of 3pm (until 11:59pm on March 30, 2020): restaurants, cafes, coffee houses, bars, taverns, brewpubs, distilleries, clubs, movie theaters, indoor and outdoor performance venues, gymnasiums, fitness centers, recreation centers, indoor sports facilities, indoor exercise facilities, exercise studios, spas, and casinos.

According to the EO, these restrictions DO NOT apply to health care facilities. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

MAC Office
While we are taking precautions to protect staff and visitors, the MAC office remains open and will continue to assist our member doctors with any questions they may have. Non-critical questions can be directed to the MAC Help Desk.

Stay tuned to MAC communication channels such as our MAC Matters emails, our social media feeds, and the "Latest News" section of the MAC home page for relevant updates as they develop.

MAC District Meetings
The MAC District 1 and District 5 meetings scheduled for this week have been cancelled, due to Governor Whitmer’s shutting down of all Michigan restaurants until March 30, 2020. Stay tuned to MAC communication channels for information on upcoming meetings as it becomes available.

Information for Health Care Providers
The MAC has received calls from offices wondering how they can protect themselves and their patients from contamination. Here are a number of resources, which explain how the virus spreads, how you can protect yourself and your patients, environmental cleaning and disinfection, and more:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Information for Healthcare Professionals
CDC’s "What Healthcare Personnel Should Know about Caring for Patients with Confirmed or Possible COVID-19 Infection"
State of Michigan Information for Health Professionals
COVID-19 Information for Medical Professional & Staff webinar with Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy Director for Health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Webinar Slideshow

Information for Your Patients
The MAC has created a template letter or newsletter article you can send your patients regarding COVID-19 outlining the steps you are taking to address the situation in your office, as well as recommendations for your patients to follow outside of the office. This document can be accessed here.

Spring Convention
The MAC has been getting calls from doctors concerned about coronavirus and our plans for the Spring Convention at the Grand Traverse Resort, April 24-26, 2020. At this point, we are moving forward as planned, but this situation is changing very rapidly. On March 13, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order that cancels or postpones events or shared-space gatherings of more than 250 people. This ban lasts until April 5, 2020, which is more than three weeks before the Spring Convention. However, this situation is extremely fluid, and the ban could be extended.

We are exploring all our options, with the safety of our attendees and their families foremost in our mind. We will also factor in the ability of our member doctors to obtain the continuing education they need for license renewal. We will continue to monitor this situation very closely and will keep you informed as events warrant.

More Information

For a Fact Sheet from the World Federation of Chiropractic regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), click here.
For information from the State of Michigan, click here.
For information from the CDC, click here.