Elective surgical procedures are on the list of items allowed under Gov. Kay Ivey’s safer-at-home order, and they were among the many topics discussed during a media conference organized Thursday by Athens-Limestone Hospital.

Dr. Nauman Qureshi borrowed an analogy often used by the governor, saying that while ordering a temporary halt to certain medical, dental and surgical procedures was like flipping a light switch off, resuming them would not be the same.

Still, he said visiting the doctor’s office or hospital is not the same as visiting a bar or tattoo parlor, and he felt “very secure in telling the public they can get back to their physicians, get back to their surgeons, and try to get their medical problems taken care of.”

“I personally feel it is appropriate and OK for people to reschedule their surgeries and get their problems taken care of,” Qureshi said. “The hospital, to me, is a very safe place right now, and I think as physicians, as nurses, we look forward to our patients coming back and to renew our relationship with them … and get back to business as usual.”

He praised those in Limestone County and across the state for taking the necessary steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including practicing social distancing. He encouraged patients to use common sense as they resumed scheduling appointments and procedures.

“I think we’re now at the point that if they have some ongoing medical issue and need to come back to the doctor’s office, we’re at that point where they can come back in and as long as precautions are taken, patients should be coming back in,” Qureshi said.

Those precautions include dropping a patient off for an appointment or outpatient procedure, then waiting in the car for a phone call when it’s OK to pick them up; following the visitation guidelines set forth by health care facilities; and practicing social distancing when visiting a health care facility or provider. Health and government officials have also strongly encouraged wearing face masks when around people from a different household, including the staff at a hospital or clinic.

For those who aren’t yet comfortable with visiting their health care provider in person, telemedicine and over-the-phone appointments may be an option. Many physicians, Qureshi included, have begun using telemedicine and phone calls to visit with patients during the pandemic. Qureshi called it “a very good option” but warned it isn’t the same as an in-person visit.

“There’s a big difference,” the seasoned physician said. “If I can put my stethoscope on a patient’s chest, I feel much more satisfied after having seen the patient than doing a teleconference. … It’s not ideal, but telemedicine is going to have its place in the next few weeks and months going forward.”

Athens-Limestone Hospital will resume elective surgeries Monday, meaning many furloughed employees can return to work, but Qureshi said parts of the hospital will remain secluded in case there is a surge in COVID-19 patients. As of Thursday, all but one of the six patients who had been hospitalized due to the respiratory disease had been released, and Qureshi praised the medical staff who treated them.

“My hat’s off to the (intensive care unit) staff that took care of these patients and to the hospitalist service — Dr. (Matt) Hanserd and his team — that handled these patients at the hospital,” he said. “We should be proud of our community and proud of our hospital.”

When asked if he was concerned about a surge in the spread of the novel coronavirus later this year, particularly during the next influenza season, Qureshi said yes, calling it a “probability, not a possibility.”

However, he noted the same precautions taken against coronavirus should be taken against the influenza virus, and that when asked, “even a child … will give the answer that it’s the social distancing we practice.”