Health officials prepare to deal with infections
NORRISTOWN » With outbreaks of the coronavirus spiking worldwide, Montgomery County officials have implemented several protocols in place to combat the disease locally.
While two cases have been confirmed in Pennsylvania, none are in Montgomery County, according to health officials.
Michel Masters, director of communicable diseases for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Public Health, and Todd Stieritz, public affairs coordinator for the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, provided an update
during the county commissioners meeting Thursday morning.
“We are preparing for cases, but we want to know how to protect ourselves,” Masters said. Coronavirus Disease 2019, or COVID-19, was first detected in Wuhan City, China. It has since spread with cases reported in more than 50 countries, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Masters said the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Public Health are taking point at the respective national and state levels.
Masters noted the commonwealth has started conducted testing through its state lab. A vaccine for the strain of coronavirus is not yet available, citing reports from the CDC that it could take up to 18 months before a virus could be ready for public consumption. COVID-19 is transmitted through “close contact,” according to Masters, who said the incubation period lasts between two and 14 days. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.
The county’s Office of Public Health reported the following groups are most susceptible: Children under 2 years old, adults more than 65 years old, people with a compromised immune system or people with chronic illnesses.
Commissioners’ Chairwoman Val Arkoosh said several department heads from various agencies including the Montgomery County Office of Public Health and Department of Public Safety met on Feb. 28 to discuss updating protocols and procedures.
“We want to be ready for any changes that we might have to put into place should COVID-19 become widespread here in Montgomery County,” Arkoosh said in a phone interview last week.
At the county commissioners meeting Thursday, Arkoosh and Masters stressed the importance of practicing good health habits.
People should disinfect surfaces, avoid touching their face, wash their hands thoroughly, cough into their elbow, and stay home if they are sick. Locally, the Office of Public Health is implementing several policies to contain the spread of the virus.
Masters said the department will work to monitor the symptoms of people who are sick or “at risk.” Officials will also “provide guidelines for isolation and quarantine for those who are ill.”
The county’s Office of Public Health is also putting an emphasis on cases that are “under investigation” or those that could have been exposed to the virus. “Potential exposure” cases involve individuals who have gone to hotbed areas of the virus or who have been in close contact with someone with the disease, but do not show symptoms, Masters said in her presentation.
Additionally, Masters said the office could impose closures, isolation and quarantines. Health officials will also distribute thermometers and hand sanitizer, but masks should be reserved for medical professionals and people who are sick, Masters said.
The Office of Public Health is working with other county and regional agencies including the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety. Both groups are working on increasing outreach through educational materials and public service announcements about prevention and the spread of the virus.
Stieritz said he’d like to focus on the area’s school districts, townships, boroughs and health care facilities. He added his department is working on revising its pandemic plans with respect to coronavirus. The plans were previously used during outbreaks of Ebola and H1N1, a type of influenza that sickened many in 2009.
Most recently, a new policy took effect on March 2 that allows 911 dispatchers to ask callers questions in certain medical situations so that emergency responders can take precautions, according to Stieritz.
Representatives from schools, long term care facilities, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and municipal managers are expected to attend a symposium about the coronavirus on March 18. For more information locally, visit www.montcopa.org, and follow the offices of public health and safety’s social media accounts.