Northwest Arkansas prepares for coronavirus
FAYETTEVILLE — Northwest Arkansas health officials said they’re taking precautions in case the region has coronavirus cases.
Fayetteville’s Central Emergency Medical Services has begun asking patients who have symptoms such as fever whether they have traveled recently or been in contact with someone who has, said Becky Stewart, chief for Central EMS.
Doing so follows the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch’s protocols. The ambulance service did the same during the Ebola outbreak a few years ago.
“We are not on heightened alert,” she said Wednesday.
The new coronavirus, a respiratory illness, originated in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. About 83,650 cases across 52 countries were confirmed as of Friday, according to the World Health Organization. About 2,860 people have died of the illness, according to the organization.
The U.S. had 15 cases, including 12 travel-related and three spread person-to-person, as of Friday, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
“We don’t have community spread at this moment, but there is a very real possibility that we could,” Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, medical director for immunizations at the Arkansas Department of Health, said Wednesday.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said at a news conference with Dillaha on Friday one person in Arkansas is under investigation for the illness.
Dillaha said Friday samples from the person have been sent to the CDC’s laboratory in Atlanta for testing. The state hadn’t received results as of midday Friday.
The person developed symptoms consistent with a possible coronavirus infection while being kept under home quarantine after returning from a country affected by the outbreak, Dillaha said.
Nine other people are also under quarantine in their homes in Arkansas after returning from trips to China or other affected countries, Dillaha said. They aren’t candidates for testing because they haven’t developed symptoms, she said.
One person in Arkansas was previously tested for the illness but results were negative.
The state Health Department is working with hospitals on what to do if they see patients who may have the virus. She said hospitals have protocols to handle virus outbreaks such as this, Dillaha said Wednesday.
No vaccine exists for the new coronavirus, and people should take precautions such as washing their hands, staying home if they’re sick and avoiding contact with sick people, Dillaha said.
Patients who come to the hospital who are suspected of having coronavirus will be kept in isolation while awaiting test results, said Dr. James “Buddy” Newton of Washington Regional Medical Center. The hospital will give any patient suspected of having coronavirus respiratory a mask to prevent spreading the illness, he said.
No specific medication exists to treat the virus, so hospital staff would offer supportive care, such as oxygen if necessary and Tylenol for fever, Newton said. Older people and people with compromised immune systems are more likely to be sicker if they catch the virus, but it’s unclear whether they are more likely to catch it, he said.
Communities, individuals, schools and employers should also consider what they would do, such as cancelling large gatherings or allowing employees to work from home, in case of an outbreak, Dillaha said.