As shared with all our members this week, we have opened our Redwood City Q Center as of this Monday, May 4. We closed over the last several weeks out of an abundance of caution and to enhance our protocol to meet the challenges of today’s new normal. As many other businesses look ahead to what it means to re-open, we wanted to share the additional steps we’ve taken to keep members and our staff and community safe, as well as new protocols we have added to benefit your health monitoring.
As those of you who have already been to our Q Center know, we schedule each visit for you personally and there is no wait time in a reception area where you could encounter other members and risk community exposure. Our check-in has always been contactless with your individual QR code sent in advance with your registration confirmation. These protect not just your privacy, but also any additional contact-driven exposure.
We have always exercised strict sanitation and cleaning standards and have increased our protocol to the strictest Universal Precaution Infection Control protocol recommended by OSHA and WHO. It includes but is not limited to:
- All equipment that touches each member is either individually packaged or sterilized after each visit
- Protective gloves, masks, and eyewear, will now be worn by our clinical staff at all times
- Each member is provided with a disposable mask, change of clothes, slippers/socks, and hand disinfectant upon arrival. Additionally, there is 70% alcohol hand sanitizer, liquid soap, and paper towels throughout our center for member use
- A new Level III face mask is worn by each clinical staff for each member visit
- All areas of our Q Center are wiped down in between each member visit using hospital-grade disinfectant with demonstrated effectiveness against emerging viral pathogens, similar to SARS-CoV-2, on surfaces. Additionally, UV-C light is used to sterilize equipment and all private member exam rooms
- We have installed hospital-grade air filtration systems in all rooms of our Q Center to prevent any airborne viral loads
In addition to these precautions, which will be in place whether there is a known outbreak or not, we will also be sending out a questionnaire in advance of member visits that cover specific questions about your travel, exposure to travel, and your health immediately before your visit. Temperatures will be checked at the door and we will be rescheduling any members should there be potential risks that are flagged. We thank our members for working together with us to keep everyone safe.
Perhaps more importantly, we have added serological antibody tests for COVID-19 to the Q Protocol. This has been determined to be clinically-relevant for tracking COVID-19 exposure over time. You will be able to test if you have had COVID-19 exposure and have potential immunity. We will continue to update this test as the research is ongoing to provide the most reliable and reproducible test available as this field continues to quickly update. We are offering this additional test to all members with upcoming Q Exams during your visit and also to all existing members as a follow-up service. If interested, you can email support@q.bio for more information and to schedule an appointment. We plan on offering this test to all our members on an ongoing basis to help track any exposures over time.
Additionally, we are testing and researching acute COVID-19 tests to provide to members who may have current exposure. We will keep you updated with the newest developments.
We hope you and your loved ones are safe and hope to welcome you very soon to our Q Center. Be Well!