Coronavirus concerns prompt Mayo Clinic to delay appointments of patients from China, South Korea

Mayo Clinic has temporarily halted appointments of patients from China and South Korea over worries about the coronavirus (COVID-19), as worldwide concerns reach a fever pitch. 

Dr. Pritish Tosh, an infectious disease specialist with the Clinic, confirmed the move was to prevent further spread of COVID-19. The disease has proven to be more contagious and transmissible than other coronaviruses (SARS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), but has a lower mortality rate.

“At this point, for patients who may be originating from China or South Korea, we’ve delayed their appointments,” said Dr. Tosh. “This is in part to prevent potential spread within the Clinic and in the community. Obviously, as the epidemic changes, potentially becoming a pandemic, we’ll continue to re-address these procedures.”

Dr. Tosh said a potential delay had been a possibility for several weeks. At this point, China and South Korea are the two countries on the list — no word on the possibility of adding other countries with outbreaks (Italy and Japan, for instance).

Dr. Tosh speaks to reporters Friday at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester

The move comes as fellow Clinic doctors warn of the increasing scope of the outbreak. Dr. Gregory Poland, director of Mayo’s Vaccine Research Group in Florida, said COVID-19 was moving toward “being a pandemic virus" on February 24. Since then, extensive outbreaks in Italy and South Korea have fueled concerns in the medical and financial world.

Still, Dr. Tosh said the flu should be a bigger day-to-day concern for Rochester residents than the coronavirus. If and when the disease makes it to Minnesota, Dr. Tosh said the Clinic’s response would closely mirror their strategies at their satellite locations abroad.

“As the disease itself is confirmed, depending on geographical location, our response is very similar,” said Dr. Tosh. “Across our enterprise, we have a unified approach in identification, isolation, and treatment of these patients.”

Worldwide, there have been 82,000 known cases of the virus, most of them in Asia. In the U.S., there have been 60 confirmed cases, including one recently in California where the patient contracted the virus from an unknown source. The individual had not traveled to anywhere known to have the virus, nor was the patient known to have interacted with someone who had. There have been no confirmed cases in Minnesota.

Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.