Local health officials are preparing for the possible spread of coronavirus. “Well, it’s in Illinois. It’s coming,” says Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch. “So when we get it or anything like that, it’s just going to be a matter of dealing with it like we did with H1N1 or anything of that nature.”
Meanwhile, the Pulaski County Health Department says it’s been getting questions from the public, but it doesn’t currently have anyone under surveillance. Lynch says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Indiana State Department of Health have been sharing information, while the Indiana Department of Education has been giving guidance to schools.
He says the good news is that the coronavirus doesn’t seem to be hitting the very young the way some types of flu have. “But still, as far as pregnant women or the elderly, any of those with respiratory immunocompromised disease processes, anything of that nature going on, those are the ones that are going to get affected the most,” Lynch explains.
Lynch says there are a few steps you can take to prevent the spread of coronavirus, “Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. Cover your coughs and sneezes, and stay home if you’re sick, if you can.”
The Pulaski County Health Department says the State Department of Health has set up a hotline for those who think they might have the coronavirus at 317-233-7125. To learn more about coronavirus, click here for a CDC fact sheet, or click here to learn about what businesses and employers can do to keep their workers safe.
