State grapples with virus

General Health District working to keep public informed

The announcement of the first confirmed cases of novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, in Ohio has not changed the Lake County General Health District’s preparations.

Tara Perkins, the health district’s director of Community Health Services, said March 10 their messaging has remained “very much the same.”

“I think the concern is, Cuyahoga County is a neighboring county, so is there the concern that it could enter into Lake County? Absolutely, but like (Ohio Department of Health Director)

Dr. (Amy) Acton has said over and over again, it is inevitable that it’s going to hit our area at some point,” Perkins said. “This is our time to prepare and have those things in place.”

Ohio officials on March 9 announced that a husband and wife who were on a Nile cruise, and a man who attended the America Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington, D.C., were the state’s first three confirmed cases. All three are from Cuyahoga County and are in their mid-50s.

“I suppose you could say the threat is real now because it’s present, but if we’re doing those day-today means of protecting ourselves... we are going to reduce that volume of potential illness,” Perkins said.

Dawn Cole, the health district’s public information officer/emergency response coordinator, said they’ve been doing the things they would do for any emergency. She said they’ve been in contact with their community partners and have been reviewing their emergency response plans.

The health district has been on conference calls with the Ohio Department of Health, which were initially held weekly and are now bi-weekly. They’ve also been on conference calls with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“That’s so we have the most up-to-date information to make informed decisions and give the best possible suggestions to people when they call us,” Cole said.

Since Jan. 28, the Lake County General Health District has had a COVID-19 page on its website. The page is being updated as more information has become available.

The page has several pieces of information displayed in a question and answer style format.

“The information we are putting out is mostly from the CDC and the Ohio Department of Health,” Cole said. “That is at their instruction. They want to make sure that we are all, as they say, singing from the same sheet of music.”

That includes information on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which “can be prevented through basic preventive measures for all infectious respiratory diseases,” including:

• Avoid contact with others who are sick.

• Stay home if you are sick.

• Do not travel while sick. • Call before visiting your doctor.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Dry hands with a clean towel or air dry your hands. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

• Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

• Practice good hygiene habits.

• Get adequate sleep and eat well-balanced meals

Most people confirmed to have COVID-19 infection have had severe acute respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, and sore throat, according to the page.

According to the page: 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. People in communities where ongoing community spread with the virus that causes COVID-19 has been reported are at elevated, though still relatively low risk of exposure.

“We don’t have any communities right now in Ohio with any ongoing spread or anything like that,” Cherise Stabler, the health district’s communicable disease nurse, said March 10.

At this time, groups at elevated risk of exposure include health care caring for patients with COVID-19; close contacts of persons with COVID-19; and travelers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring.

“While we are still learning about how COVID-2019 affects people, older persons and persons with preexisting medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, cancer or diabetes) appear to develop serious illness more often than others,” the page states.

People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus, according to the page.

“The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales,” the page states. “These droplets

“I suppose you could say the threat is real now because it’s present, but if we’re doing those day-to-day means of protecting ourselves... we are going to reduce that volume of potential illness.” — Tara Perkins, the health district’s director of Community Health Services

land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.”

Perkins said on a daily basis they’re sharing information with entities like schools and colleges in the county.

“I’m taking a lot of calls providing information and resources to a lot of practitioners whether it be a nurse in an ER or an office manager in a doctor’s office,” she said.

Perkins said they’ve been fielding questions from the general public through their website as well as phone calls.

“It could be a concern about a church that they attend, it could be a concern about their place of employment, or just ‘what I do in the event of (blank)?” Perkins said. “We kind of help them fill in the blanks and provide the information they need so they can make an informed decision.”

Cole said that Stabler and Perkins are specially trained to “interview people and ask them the right questions so they can answer their questions in a way that is meaningful.”

Perkins said because they ask targeted questions, they want to talk to the person directly involved, not having someone ask the question second or third hand.

She also asked that people to be mindful when they’re considering buying extra supplies.

“I go to the local grocery store and things are just flying off the shelves,” Perkins said. “... It’s OK if you want to have extra bleach wipes, it’s OK that you want to buy that extra can of Lysol, but what we’re seeing is the people who need those supplies most are not being able to get access to it and that is going to hurt that overall goal of trying to keep safe and reduce that threat of illness. Whether it’s a doctor’s office that runs out of bleach wipes that needs to run up to their local Giant Eagle to buy more and now they can’t get them.

“It’s OK to have that extra, but there’s a difference between hoarding cases and having a couple extra the containers.”

The Ohio Department of Health has opened a call center to answer questions about COVID-19. The call center is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and can be reached at 833427-5634.

More information regarding COVID-19 can be found at https://coronavirus.ohio.gov and https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.