LUMBERTON — Local residents should not become complacent in the face of the potential spread of the new coronavirus that originated in China, but the chances are low that Robeson County will be hit hard by the virus, health officials say.
Fear of the virus was stoked Tuesday when U.S. health officials warned that the burgeoning coronavirus is certain to spread more widely in the country at some point.
“It’s not so much a question of if this will happen anymore, but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen — and how many people in this country will have severe illness,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
No one can say for sure whether or not cases of the new coronavirus will be seen in Robeson County, according to county Department of Health leaders. But it is not likely given the prevention programs put in place and the county’s population.
“Compared to metropolitan areas, international travel is not as great of a concern locally,” said Melissa Packer, assistant Health Department director. “We should be cautious and vigilant, but not excessively fearful.”
History also is on the county’s side.
No cases of SARS, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, were seen in Robeson County when those viruses broke out in the United States in 2003 and 2014, respectively. Both are a virus.
The local Health Department has taken steps to protect area residents. The department has posted signs that advise visitors to health facilities to alert health care personnel if they have traveled internationally, have symptoms, or if they have had contact with people who have traveled internationally and have symptoms.
“We also have negative pressure rooms within our facility, which allow for the isolation of symptomatic persons,” Packer said. “Additionally, we have multiple staff members who are fit-tested with N95 respirators, thus, they are able to evaluate symptomatic persons to determine if they meet case definition to be tested for COVID-19 (the new coronavirus).”
According to the CDC, the N95 respirator is the most common of the seven types of particulate filtering facepiece respirators. It filters at least 95% of airborne particles.
If a person is acutely ill the county Health Department will arrange transport to the local hospital and will notify 911 of the potential for the new coronavirus, according to department leaders. The department also will consult with the N.C. Department of Public Health Communicable Disease Branch for possible testing. The local hospital’s infection control will be notified of an incoming patient, or patients.
“Information disseminated to the public tends to change rapidly,” Packer said.
For that reason people are advised to consult the following websites for updated information: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/, https://www.cdc.gov/ and https://www.who.int/.
Too little is known about the coronavirus, so it is difficult to tell if it is more dangerous than the flu, said Dr. Obiefuna Okoye, an Infectious Diseases specialist at Southeastern Health. But the CDC is warning that coronavirus infection should be taken seriously.
One way to reduce the possibility of infection is to limit nonessential travel to areas where coronavirus infection has been reported, he said.
“For everyday preventative measures for general well-being, we always recommend getting your flu shot, washing your hands, and covering your mouth and nose when sneezing,” Okoye said.
The state Department of Health and Human Services reported that as of Wednesday there were no cases of the new coronavirus in North Carolina.
The department announced Wednesday that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Task Force called into creation on Feb. 11 by Gov. Roy Cooper continues to prepare for the possibility of COVID-19 infections in North Carolina and is encouraging businesses, schools, health-care providers, communities and individuals to prepare as well.
“NCDHHS has been coordinating with the CDC and state and local partners to prepare for COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak in China,” said Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, State Health Director and chief medical officer for NCDHHS. “We are asking North Carolinians to continue to plan ahead for the possibility of the spread of the infection, while the risk for North Carolina is currently low.”
To prevent infection and the spread of the disease, the Department of Health and Human Services urges individuals and families to wash hands frequently with soap and water; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; avoid close contact with people who are ill; cover mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing; not to reuse tissue after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose; and clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched.
Businesses are urged to practice good hand hygiene and encourage employees and patrons to take commonsense precautions to protect themselves from the spread of the virus; review policies and procedures for remote or teleworking where possible; cross-train employees for key functions so daily schedules can continue relatively uninterrupted by potential employee absences; review absenteeism policies to make sure employees are not being encouraged to come to work if they are sick; if not done already, establish a relationship with the local health department and contact the department if any questions or concerns about the new coronavirus arise.
According to the CDC, imported cases of the virus in travelers have been detected in the United States. Person-to-person spread of the virus also has been seen among close contacts of returned travelers from Wuhan, China. But at this time, the virus is not currently spreading in the community in the United States.
The CDC reported Tuesday that “14 cases have been diagnosed in the United States, in addition to 39 cases among repatriated persons from high-risk settings, for a current total of 53 cases within the United States. The U.S. government and public health partners are implementing aggressive measures to slow and contain transmission of COVID-19 in the United States.”
The virus has spread throughout China and to 31 other countries and territories, including the United States, according to the CDC’s website.
