Content on this website is intended for general information only. For answers to your specific questions or to schedule treatment, we invite you to contact us at 301-588-5858.

COVID-19 Community Safety

Call our office prior to your appointment if any of these situations apply:

• A member of your household has (or recently had) COVID-19
• You have been exposed to someone who has or recently developed COVID-19
• You are experiencing any of the symptoms listed below

COVID-19 Symptoms

Call our office prior to your appointment if you have recently started experiencing any of the following symptoms:

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

COVID-19 Protection Procedures

We have consistent procedures in place for respiratory protection of visitors, staff, and the community. Using our pro-active safety measures and with the cooperation of our patients, we are able to provide appropriate care during this time. We put significant effort into our procedures for continual germicidal air cleaning, pre-appointment room ventilation, schedule changes to help protect the community, laundry sterilization, one-time-use supplies, and masks.

As a result of Dr. Windsor's prior scientific background in virology, most of these safety procedures were already standard for Maryland Holistics during the past 10 years or longer.

Schedule Changes

We request that patients contact us to reschedule if they are feeling unwell with any condition which may be transmissible, or if they believe they may have come in contact with someone who has active COVID-19.

High Flow Rate Germicidal Air Filtration

For the past 10 years, Maryland Holistics has used high flow rate ultraviolet germicidal air filtration to reduce the transmission of flu and colds in the community. During every appointment, we use a high quality air filtration unit which filters ultra-small particles and kills viruses in the air with an internal UVC sterilization lamp. The high flow rate enables the entire room air to be cleaned approximately every 10 minutes.

Dedicated HVAC System

Our office in Ellicott City is equipped with its own HVAC system facing the exterior which means that our air circulation system is completely separated from other offices.

Hand Sanitation

For hand sanitation, Dr. Windsor uses one-time-use nitrile gloves during all procedures in the clinic. These gloves are replaced frequently along with handwashing, and of course always between patients or when handling laundry.

Pre-Appointment Room Ventilation

We leave your treatment room vacant for a minimum of 1 hour before you arrive at your appointment, and in most cases 2-3 hours. This is possible because the office has multiple treatment rooms.

Single-Use Supplies

All of our acupuncture needles are single use only, as they have always been. This should be standard among all clinics in the United States. Single-use nitrile gloves are described above. One-time use paper instead of laundry is available by request, but we typically use this only in cases of allergy to bleach or to our hypoallergenic (free and clear) detergents.

Laundry Sterilization

As always, our laundry is changed between every appointment. However, we now handle all of our laundry in-house rather than sending it out for cleaning. We carefully wash every piece of laundry in a heat sterilization cycle of 145°F for 90 minutes. Based on this scientific summary, we believe this approach provides approximately a 6-log (around 1,000,000x) reduction in viral particles. This is a common goal for medical applications requiring sterilization.

Humidification for Air Particulate Control

When the interior air humidity is below 33%, we add humidification to the air. This has been scientifically proven to reduce flu transmission by increasing the speed at which viral particles sink to the ground.

Waiting Room Procedures

If you arrive more than 5 minutes early for your appointment, please wait in the car until 5 minutes prior to your appointment. Our goal is to have all patients shown to their treatment room within 1-2 minutes of arrival. Visitors are generally not allowed in the clinic during the appointment unless their presence is necessary for the patient's care or comfort.

Chemotherapy Patients

To further reduce the risks to this vulnerable population, we usually schedule patients who are undergoing chemotherapy as the first appointment of the day.


More Information

If this page interested you, perhaps you may also be interested in our other procedures which relate to the safety of clinical care. Read More




You May be Interested In:

Contact Our Office
Conditions A-Z (list and web links)
Pain Relief
About Acupuncture
Before Your Visit
Testimonials
Information for Physicians
Directions
About Dr. Eric Windsor
Biochemical Research on Acupuncture
How We Work with Lab Tests and Imaging


About Maryland Holistics

Maryland Holistics LLC is the private practice of Dr. Eric Windsor, D.Ac., L.Ac. Our serene, professional office is located in Ellicott City, MD. Maryland Holistics has provided care to thousands of satisfied customers since opening in 2009. Dr. Windsor is a preferred provider in the CareFirst, Blue Cross Blue Shield, GEHA, and United Healthcare networks.

3525 Ellicott Mills Dr., Ste E
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: 301-588-5858
Fax: 443-308-5690