Howell County Health Department director Chris Gilliam states, “Concerns over the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak are understandable, however efforts are under way to limit the impact of the outbreak at the local, state and national levels. This is a time for caution not panic.” Adding, “Local plan coordination meetings and efforts have already begun to address the outbreak.”
In addition to ongoing local coordination, the Health Department will continue to work with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as well as the CDC in their unified efforts. Gilliam points out that both Howell County and the Health Department maintain pandemic emergency plans to respond to occurrences such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The Health Department reports that to date there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Howell County or the State of Missouri. As this COVID-19 virus is new strain, there is not currently a vaccine against the virus nor do our bodies have a natural immunity to it.
Making it crucial that individuals follow simple steps to avoid infection, including: washing hands frequently with soap and water, avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, keep a minimum distance of 6 feet from people who are sick.
These simple steps will help protect you against COVID-19 as well as many other diseases that are spread person-to-person. These are the most important things you can currently do to protect yourself, your family, and our whole community.
If you are well, you do not need to wear a facemask to try to protect yourself from the coronavirus. Facemasks are intended to be worn by people who are sick, to keep germs from travelling far when the person coughs or sneezes. Facemasks are needed by health care workers or family members who have to be near to the sick in order to care for them.
Symptoms of COVID-19 infection include headache, cough, shortness of breath/breathing difficulties, fever and tiredness.
Gilliam states that it is important to note the virus does not pose a great threat to most healthy individuals; it is cause for greater concern for the elderly and those individuals with underlying health issues.
Current statistics show that for those infected with COVID-19 – 81% of patients develop mild symptoms, 14% develop severe symptoms and 5% become critically ill. In light of the identified risk the outbreak has for the elderly and ill, it is important to limit the infection’s spread in the community as much as possible. You can do your part by staying home when you are sick.
For more information, visit us at howellcountyhealth.com or follow us on Facebook.
