COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Coronaviruses are in the same virus family as the common cold, typically causing mild symptoms. The new strain of coronavirus, 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan, China. Watch this video or see the CDC website for more information.

Yes. If you need care, don’t hesitate to call your doctor’s office or contact them through My Health Online. Our employees and healthcare teams are ready to serve you and look forward to providing care, either in person or by Video Visit.

If you have a chronic condition like diabetes or have needs related to ongoing treatment, don’t wait to contact your care team for appointments. Delaying care can be dangerous. To avoid unwanted outcomes and complications, call your doctor’s office or send your care team a message through My Health Online.

To reduce the risk of spread, we’re taking extra precautions at our sites, including universal masking, physical distancing, temperature screening of our workforce and visitors, and enhanced cleaning.

We’re taking extra precautions to help keep you safe. We continue to monitor personal protective equipment (PPE) inventory and testing capability. As we manage surges in COVID-19 patients, we may temporarily suspend certain procedures. If your procedure is delayed, we’ll work with you to reschedule it as soon as possible.

Yes. Sutter patients may enroll in clinical trials testing investigational treatments for COVID-19. View clinical trials.

Sutter is committed to the health and well-being of our patients, caregivers and community. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, we’re taking extra precautions to reduce the risk of the spread of the disease. It’s critical that we protect vulnerable patients in our hospitals, as well as our healthcare workers and providers. Due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases across Northern California, we’re restricting visitors within our hospitals.

We’re allowing a support person for laboring mothers and visitors in end-of-life situations. We’ll also allow support for minors and people with disabilities. If you want to visit a patient, please consider contacting them by telephone or videoconference. We appreciate your help with protecting patients and staff.

We’re taking lots of precautions to keep you safe. Before your appointment, you’ll be screened by phone. When you arrive, you’ll be screened again and given a mask.

Contact-free check in is also available through My Health Online. Activate this feature in your My Health Online app by using the E-Z Arrival option before your appointment. The app will notify our staff that you’ve arrived, so you can limit or skip time in the waiting areas.

We’re also taking measures beyond screening in all our care centers. Anyone will COVID-19 symptoms is isolated, every exam room is disinfected thoroughly between patients, and we’re using physical distancing protocols everywhere possible.

Sutter hospitals, outpatient clinics and doctors’ offices are taking the following safety measures to help protect patients, staff and communities:

• We're screening at entrances.
• Visitors are limited to help protect patients, staff and providers.
• Masks are required and provided for everyone entering any Sutter building.
• Lobbies and waiting areas are modified for physical distancing.
• Every exam room undergoes extra cleaning between patients.
• We’re isolating patients with respiratory symptoms from the general population.

Due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases across Northern California, we’re restricting visitors at care centers and surgery centers. There are cases in which patients may have a support person accompany them to appointments and procedures. These include parents or guardians of small children, support for patients with disabilities or who need help walking, interpreters and support people for mothers with newborns.

Sutter is following CDC and local County Public Health guidelines on who should be tested for COVID-19. Generally speaking, it includes patients with one or more of the following symptoms:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Symptom Evaluation and Testing

If you’re experiencing COVID symptoms and think you should be tested, please call or message your doctor directly or consider scheduling a Video Visit with your doctor or a Sutter Walk-In Care clinician through My Health Online.

If you don’t have a My Health Online account, you can enroll online. If you’re not able to have a Video Visit, your doctor can instruct you on how to get an evaluation.

An evaluation by a clinician is required to determine if you need a COVID-19 test. If you meet testing criteria, your doctor or a clinician will order a test and refer you to a testing site.

A specimen will be collected at a Sutter testing site and sent to a lab for analysis. You will be informed of the results, and if the result is positive, your provider will arrange for any care you may need.

Recommendations on testing may differ by county. Please contact your doctor or check your county’s website for more information.

All patients admitted to a Sutter hospital will be tested for COVID-19.

A PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test is the most common type of test used to determine whether a person has COVID-19. A healthcare provider administers a PCR test by taking a nose or throat swab from a patient, processing the sample in a machine, and then looking for indications of COVID-19 infection. At Sutter, most specimens will be collected by nasal swab.

Learn more about COVID-19 testing.

An evaluation by a clinician is required to determine if you need a COVID-19 test. If you meet testing criteria, your doctor or a clinician will order a test and refer you to a testing site.

Designated respiratory clinics and urgent care centers are available in the Sutter Health network where patients with COVID-19 symptoms can be further evaluated and receive a COVID-19 test.

Once you arrive at a site, you may be asked to wait in your car and call a phone number to alert staff, who will provide guidance and coordinate collecting a test sample. Some sites offer testing right from your car.

You will be informed of the results, and if the result is positive, your provider will arrange for any care you may need.

Additional community resources for testing may be available in your area:

• Find COVID-19 Testing Sites in California
• State of California COVID-19 Testing and Treatment Information

An antibody test may help identify people who have had or been exposed to the COVID-19 virus, including individuals who didn’t show any symptoms. This type of blood test detects the presence of antibodies produced by the immune system in response to COVID-19 infection. Antibody tests may be used to complement PCR tests in certain circumstances.

Find out more about COVID-19 antibody testing.

A COVID-19 (PCR) test shows whether a person is currently infected. An antibody test indicates whether a person has antibodies for COVID-19 because they’ve been exposed to the virus or previously infected.

If you’ve had a positive COVID-19 test or were diagnosed with COVID-19 by a healthcare provider, you may be eligible for an antibody test at a Sutter facility. Contact your doctor’s office for more information.

At Sutter, antibody tests are used to help validate a positive COVID-19 diagnosis determined by PCR testing. Antibody tests are also used to determine whether a patient recovering from a COVID-19 infection is eligible to donate plasma if they’re interested in doing so. “Convalescent plasma” may be used as investigational treatment for people with severe COVID-19. Learn more.

Note that U.S. federal and California state laws require that COVID-19 antibody tests be performed at licensed clinical laboratories.

A positive antibody test shows a person has been exposed to or previously infected with COVID-19.

There’s no evidence yet that people with detectable COVID-19 antibodies are immune to re-infection. Until more research is available, a positive antibody test should not be used to make decisions related to easing physical distancing or the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Sutter will not collect patient cost shares (e.g., a copay, deductible and co-insurance) in advance of providing services for medically necessary COVID-19 screening and test collection administered at Sutter care centers.

Your final out-of-pocket cost or responsibility for this test and visit to your provider may be affected by factors such as the mix of services, your deductible, past performed services and the claims already processed related to your care or your family's care. Please check with your insurance company if you need help understanding your benefits for this service.

Yes, all patients and visitors must wear masks or personal face coverings over their nose and mouth when they're in a public or common area of a Sutter facility and whenever they're within six feet of another person, with limited exceptions. If you don’t have a personal face covering or mask, we’ll provide a procedure mask for you.

Sutter continues to update our COVID-19 response efforts based on the best available information. COVID-19 is prevalent in our communities and can be spread unknowingly by people that don’t have any symptoms. In addition, many counties have implemented mandatory Health Orders requiring members of the public to be masked at all times in public settings. Our priority continues to be the health and safety of our patients and staff, and these new masking procedures help support safe care.

Yes, certain individuals are not required to wear a mask:

• Anyone who has trouble breathing or has been advised not to wear a mask.
• Anyone who is incapacitated or can’t remove a mask without assistance.
• Children under the age of 2 (masks are optional for children ages 3 – 12).

Masks are optional for children ages 3 –12. If you choose to have your child wear a mask, you can use a personal cloth mask or use one we provide. Children under the age of 2 should not wear a mask.

Due to COVID-19, we have additional safety efforts in place to protect you, your loved ones and our healthcare providers. You and your support person will need to wear a mask upon arrival and when leaving the hospital. You won't need to wear a mask if you and your support person are alone in a private room. We do ask that you put masks on while our healthcare providers are in the room, though masks are not required during active labor and delivery. We appreciate your help in maintaining safe patient care.