COVID-19 Announcement

Dear Patients,

With the current concerns regarding the community-based spread of COVID-19, the public has been asked to observe social distancing. This involves avoiding large gatherings, crowded places, and non-essential travel. In the state of Illinois, schools have been closed, and employees are being encouraged to work from home when possible.

In addition, health facilities have been advised to strengthen patient screening procedures and employ telehealth when appropriate.

Midwest Allergy Sinus Asthma (MASA) will remain open to serve our patients with allergy, asthma, allergic skin disease, allergy shots, food allergy therapy, mast cell disorders, and immune deficiency. It is important that community-based medical practices continue to operate so that vital health needs of the public can be met outside of urgent care and emergency departments. Our emergency facilities must be reserved to care for the very ill.

To safeguard the health of our patients and staff, MASA is implementing the following procedures until the current COVID-19 outbreak has been stabilized:

1. Patients will be screened in advance of their appointments to rule out an active cough, fever, international travel, or sick contacts. Patients who screen positive for any of the above will have their appointments rescheduled or offered a telehealth (phone/video) visit.
2. Minor patients are asked to be accompanied by only 1 adult family member. When possible, we request that siblings remain at home, unless they will also be receiving treatment.
3. Most allergy shot patients may elect to wait in their car during the 30-minute post-injection period (please sign a waiver at the desk).*
4. Oral food immunotherapy patients who are already on their maintenance dose form (undiluted milk, egg white liquid, peanut or tree nuts fragments) may elect to maintain their current dose and defer up-dose appointments for the time being.
5. The following appointment types will be given the option to convert their visits to telemedicine:
   1. Laboratory result review
   2. Completion of school forms
   3. Dietary management
   4. Yearly food allergy follow-up
   5. Sublingual immunotherapy up-dose (within the same concentration/bottle)
   6. Post-reaction follow-up
   7. Screening visits due to concerns over possible novel coronavirus infection
   8. For allergy and asthma sick visits, the provider in-house can discuss your case with you to decide if you need to be seen or if she can handle your health concerns with a telehealth visit.
6. For hygiene, we have removed many comfort items from our waiting and exam rooms. Please let a staff member know if you require anything.
7. MASA has implemented many office procedures to keep us, you and all our families safe. Employees are screened for illness daily as well.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we all work together to safeguard the health of our communities.

Sincerely,

Dareen Siri, MD FAAAAI FACAAI FISAAI
Medical Director, Midwest Allergy Sinus Asthma SC
Medical Director, SWIA Clinical Research

*Providers may ask certain patients to wait in our office for better observation.

Please click below for additional information about COVID-19 and MASA’s COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ Series.