Although there are no significant changes in alerts for the local community, the Union County Health Department (UCHD) is continuing to update residents regarding the coronavirus.
UCHD continues to work hand-in-hand with the Ohio Department of Health in monitoring and responding to the novel coronavirus outbreak which first began in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019.
The outbreak is now officially called Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and has been declared as a public health emergency by the U.S. and the World Health Organization.
Locally, the risk for COVID-19 infection remains low within our community.
Public health agencies at all levels are working to prevent and slow the disease. However, UCHD officials say they are committed to developing and tweaking our response plans as the situation evolves.
While there has been much work done in regards to COVID-19, a release from UCHD indicates the situational awareness update for the community at large remains relatively unchanged since the last update earlier this month.
There are currently 15 confirmed cases within the U.S. All cases have recent travel history or were close contacts (such as a caregiver) of someone with confirmed COVID-19.
While there has been limited human-to-human spread, there has been no community level spread within the U.S.
Employers are encouraged to look at sick leave and telecommuting policies to ensure the policy encourages ill employees to stay home when sick.
Additionally, UCHD says it is important to follow standard cleaning procedures. Use cleaning products as directed by the label and ensure daily cleaning of frequently touched shared surfaces.
Residents should continue to take the following steps to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses:
– Stay home if you are sick until fever-free for at least 24 hours
– Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water frequently
– Cover coughs and sneezes with your sleeve
– Avoid touching your face
– Get plenty of rest