What you need to know about Coronavirus

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What you need to know about Coronavirus

Thu, 03/05/2020 - 15:23
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This week, the spread of the coronavirus has accelerated worldwide. The epidemic continues to expand rapidly outside China, topping 90,000 cases and 3,200 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. As of Wednesday, The New York Times has reported more than 150 cases across 16 states and nine deaths linked to the virus.

On Friday, Feb. 28, the Trump administration appointed Vice President Mike Pence to lead the task force against the infectious disease, amidst mounting concerns of early missteps which may have contributed to the spread of the virus, including distribution of defective diagnostic kits and highly restrictive rules for administering diagnostic tests.

Initially, few diagnostic tests were administered—the direct result of a shortage of available test kits and a narrow set of CDC guidelines, which only recommended administering tests to those who showed symptoms of a respiratory illness, and had either recently been to China or in direct contact with a confirmed COVID-19-infected person. This raised concerns among healthcare professionals, who called on the CDC to amend guidelines as the virus spread beyond China. Last week, the CDC modified the testing criteria to include travelers returning from places like South Korea and Italy, and increased the availability of diagnostic tests. President Trump said on Tuesday that he may further tighten limits on international travel in hopes of preventing the arrival of more visitors infected by the coronavirus.

CORONAVIRUS IN TEXAS

As of Wednesday, there have been 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Texas. The 12th case was identified on Wednesday in Fort Bend County, in the Houston area. The patient is the first positive case outside of Texas quarantine, and had recently traveled abroad. The 11 other cases were among people who caught the COVID-19 disease overseas and were quarantined at the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.

An additional 144 evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, who were exposed to COVID-19, were quarantined at Lackland Air Force Base. Over the weekend, the CDC released a San Antonio patient, not realizing a later test would show she still had the virus in her system. She left the hospital, checked into a San Antonio hotel, and visited a mall, potentially exposing the public to the virus for 12 hours.

This event caused a delay in releasing additional quarantined persons from Lackland, who were scheduled to be released Monday. Local officials requested additional tests to confirm the remaining evacuees were virus-free and posed no public health threat. A federal judge denied this request Monday evening, and more than 120 asymptomatic American evacuees from the ship were allowed to head home on March 3. Passengers who developed symptoms during the quarantine and tested positive for coronavirus were not released Tuesday, and will remain in isolation until they are free from symptoms and have two negative tests within 24 hours apart to meet the criteria for release.

BEST PRACTICES

Vice President Pence delivered comments during a Monday press conference and remained optimistic about containment, offering calming words to the American public. The risk remains low, Pence said, This is a time to use common sense, a good time to wash your hands.

Rhonda McKanna, R.N., who serves as infection control nurse at Hemphill County Hospital, has reminded us of timehonored practices we in Hemphill County can take to protect ourselves against infectious disease.

•Mask misconception: Masks are not effective in preventing the virus, says McKanna. The type of masks people are purchasing are not effective at preventing things coming into the mask, they are intended to prevent coughs or sneezes from escaping outside of the masks. This misconception has resulted in a worldwide mask shortage, including a shortage for healthcare providers. What we have on our shelves is all we have. Do you want your nurse to have masks available, or your neighbor? McKanna asks.

•Cough etiquette: Cough or sneeze into a tissue and throw it away, or cough into the crook of your elbow or into your sleeve.

•Frequent hand hygiene: Wash hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds, and clean your hands often with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60-95 percent alcohol. Use enough hand sanitizer that your whole hand stays wet for 15 seconds, McKanna said.

•Disinfect frequently touched surfaces: Use sanitizing wipes often on your own cellphone, especially after placing it on public surfaces. McKanna advises designating one person in your home and office to disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. We recommend frequently cleaning phones, computer keyboards, copy machines, door pulls and handles, the coffee pot, and light switches. It can take five minutes a day, said McKanna. Keep sanitizing wipes on hand. Any household disinfecting wipe needs one to two minutes of ‘wet time’ to be considered sanitized, meaning items that are wiped down should take one to two minutes to dry.

•Avoid the t-zone—Don’t touch the T-Zone of your face with your hands—your t-zone is the area between your eyes, nose, and mouth.

•If you’re ill, stay home: If you are symptomatic, don’t go to school, send your kids to school, or go to work.

•Consider the source: McKanna recommends researching using reputable sources, like the CDC. Ninety-nine percent of people will experience flu-like symptoms and are treated successfully at home with symptom management. Don’t consult Facebook and Dr. Google for information. Use a reputable source like the CDC website, and check to make sure you are reading the most updated information available. The best source for current information about the coronavirus disease is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov).

RISK FACTOR

According to the CDC, for the general American public who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus at this time, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low. Elevated levels of risk exist for those who are in contact with infected persons, including healthcare workers or travelers returning from affected areas.

Hemphill County does not currently have a diagnostic kit. However, if you think you are symptomatic and meet current CDC coronavirus criteria, there is a procedure in place. Rather than show up at the doctor, call ahead and explain your situation. When you arrive, call from the parking lot, stay in your vehicle, and staff will come out to you, McKanna explained, This prevents the waiting room from being exposed and allows our staff to bring you into an isolated area to assess you. Hemphill County Hospital is then able to collect samples and send them to the state designated-testing point.

HOW CORONAVIRUS SPREADS

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, typically between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet). The virus also spreads through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus may also be spread by coming into contact with infected surfaces or objects. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it, and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. For confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. The CDC believes at this time that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.

TREATMENT

At this time, there is no specific treatment recommended for COVOID-19. People who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should contact their healthcare provider immediately. On Monday, Vice President Pence said treatments are in development and could be available within the next two months. Several pharmaceutical companies formed a consortium to share information about the development of different treatments, he said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

The best source for current information about the coronavirus disease is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov).

EDITOR’S NOTE: We relied on information from The New York Times, World Health Organization, and CDC.gov for this report.