HANCOCK COUNTY — Many of the steps Hancock County health professionals are taking to prevent the spread of the coronavirus are ones they were taking long before the epidemic started on the other side of the planet.
There have been more than 75,000 reported cases of COVID-19 since the virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, last December. All but about 1,000 cases have been recorded in China. About 2,100 deaths have been reported in China and 11 elsewhere. The virus has spread to about two dozen countries, including the United States.
Craig Felty, vice president, chief nursing officer and chief operating officer of Hancock Regional Hospital, said the health care provider is maintaining the vigilance it’s had since the world’s last widespread disease outbreak.
“It’s kind of business as usual for us,” he said.
During the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014, the hospital started asking patients if they had recently traveled outside the U.S. That question continues to be part of screenings to this day.
“There are so many viruses and bacteria out there from other countries,” Felty said. “We always have a high index of suspicion for anyone who’s done any type of foreign travel. It’s one of the first things we ask.”
Anyone presenting symptoms of an infectious disease, like the flu, gets a mask, Felty continued. Hospital staff also follow standard protocols for infection control like hand washing and wiping down surfaces after patients leave exam rooms.
“Our goal is to prevent the transmission of any viruses,” he said.
Crystal Baker, office manager and preparedness coordinator for the Hancock County Health Department, referred to the self-monitoring procedure in place concerning the coronavirus outbreak established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It calls for travelers arriving from China outside Hubei province (where its capital Wuhan is the virus’ epicenter) to take their temperature twice a day and report it to a health department, which then reports it to their respective state.
Baker said on Feb. 18 she could confirm that fewer than five people are undergoing that self-monitoring procedure in Hancock County.
The health department is emphasizing protective practices, Baker continued, like hand washing; refraining from touching one’s nose, eyes or mouth; keeping away from others who are sick; and staying home if they’re sick or experiencing symptoms like coughing or sneezing.
“We’re just encouraging people to protect themselves, just like they would from any other respiratory illness, like the flu,” she said.
First Care, which has urgent care and walk-in clinics throughout Kentucky and Indiana, including in Greenfield, issued a news release reporting many of its patients have been asking about the coronavirus. The coronavirus threat in the U.S. is “substantially low,” according to the release.
“It is important to remember that the flu is a prevalent threat to public health and has killed over 10,000 people in the United States this flu season alone,” the release states. “The United States is in peak flu season, and we have seen this reflected in our clinics.”
The release goes on to urge people to get their flu shot. It also states that the prevention of the flu and coronavirus is very similar — washing hands regularly, covering one’s mouth when sneezing or coughing and avoiding contact with those who show flu-like symptoms.
