AP Photo This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Local medical professionals, including Warren General Hospital said that the risk for experiencing the infection here is very low at this time.

“Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”

Information is released daily about the coronavirus along with the illness caused by it called COVID 19. However, local medical professionals, including Warren General Hospital said that the risk for experiencing the infection here is very low at this time.

Chief Operating Officer, Joe Akif; Infectious Disease Liaison, Michele Welker, RN; and WGH Medical Director, Keith Price, MD are all involved with monitoring daily updates from the CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention). They collectively share and relay any helpful and important information to maintain preparedness throughout the hospital.

Supplies are also being reserved across the country for potential “worst case scenarios.” WGH itself is maintaining a very adequate supply of personal protective equipment in order to prepare for any cases that may occur.

So far, it is known that the coronavirus illness spreads through droplet transmission. This means that coughing and sneezing will spread this virus. If a potential candidate is identified for this infection, WGH protocol is to put the CDC recommended masks in place.

Currently, a two week quarantine is recommended for any possible exposure to COVID 19. Travel bans and advisories have been issued for those areas involved. This is important because no specific travel or contact risk factors have been identified yet, and the mode of viral transmission seems to be unclear.

Any patient at WGH under investigation for coronavirus will be treated as any similar contagious disease. The patient would be isolated in a special room and universal precautions are then enforced.

Personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, gowns, etc) would be used by all personnel in contact with the potentially infected patient in the event of a local case.

Several U.S. cases have surfaced, but unfortunately, like with most viral infections there is no known effective antiviral medication. Nor is there a specific treatment for COVID 19 other than supportive care.

A vaccine is currently under development to help combat the virus, but it may be months before anything is released and ready for distribution.

In the meantime, there are ways to lower the risk of infection. Simple, but powerful preventative measures are always important to remember.

Whether you are dealing with the common cold or a “superbug” like the coronavirus, hand washing is “crucial to decreasing spread of microbes.” Also, if you find yourself ill it is best precaution to stay home rather than potentially infecting others.

In its current state, the COVID 19 infection is considered mild to moderate in about 80 percent of cases, including a fever, cough and body aches among the most common symptoms.

About 15 percent of cases actually progress to more significant disease needing medical treatment, and only 6 percent of the infected actually become critically ill. Critically ill patients will predominantly experience a shortness of breath along with other symptoms.

Ultimately, about two percent of cases die from the COVID 19 infection, typically affecting the elderly and those having underlying health problems such as diabetes, heart or lung problems.

In contrast, our seasonal influenza cases have an average mortality of about 1 per thousand patients infected.

There was a different coronavirus outbreak back in 2003 that caused an illness called SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). This particular strain resulted in a 10 percent death rate during its outbreak. There are currently four different seasonal strains of coronavirus that will give symptoms similar to the common cold and negligible mortality.

WGH encourages the community to visit the government website for the Department of Health and Human Services (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC), www.cdc.gov/COVID19 for all up-to-date information about the coronavirus.