Fear spreads faster than coronavirus

Prepare, don’t panic.

That’s the overall recommendation from Dr. Paul Pritchard, chief quality officer and vice president at Prevea Health, for dealing with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The disease has been declared a “public health emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organization. It creates cold or flu-like symptoms in most people, but some individuals with other health issues develop serious health problems.

Prevea, as with some other health care systems, screens patients for infectious diseases as they come into a clinic or hospital.

“About six years ago, when Ebola started, there was a lot of concern about spreading. We established a process that we use for all infectious diseases,” Pritchard said.

When someone arrives at a clinic, he said, everyone gets asked if they have a cough, a fever, and have been traveling out of the country. If they meet the screening criteria, the patient is moved into a private waiting area.

“It protects everybody, the patient, the providers and the others in the waiting room,” he said.

Northeast Wisconsin, though, is a low-risk area, Pritchard said. There has been only one case confirmed in Wisconsin, in the southern part of the state, he said. He recommends taking the same precautions as those recommended for preventing flu, starting with hand washing and covering a cough.

“Avoid large groups, if you’re sick, stay home and avoid touching your eyes and mouth,” he added.

He also recommends turning to reliable sources for information, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, www.cdc.gov or the state Department of Health Services, www.dhs.wisconsin.gov.

Pritchard said that some responses, such as wearing masks, are an understandable emotional response, but are not very effective in preventing the disease.

Masks disappearing

Masks were disappearing from shelves in some Shawano area businesses as of Monday. No masks were available at the Walgreens Pharmacy in Shawano. Dearco Glass Paint and Decorating reported that the masks normally used by painters and home decorators were out.

The Sherman-Williams store in Shawano was also sold out of masks that cover just the mouth. The assistant manager at the store said that respirators, which fit over the face and have filters, were still available for individuals who need a mask for sanding, painting and other home improvement projects.

Paint masks are not likely to be of much help, according to Pat Trinko, director of operations at Shawano Ambulance Service. He said his ambulance crews have the supplies they need, particularly the “N95” face masks, which protect against viruses.

Unlike simple face masks, these are approved by the federal government for use if a virus such as coronavirus is suspected, he said. Painting masks and other types of masks can have gaps and holes, which can make them ineffective, he said.

Masks are valuable to health care workers, though, he said, once a patient is identified as at risk for the disease.

“It’s awareness,” he said, “then take measures, like donning masks that stop particle transmission. Put one on that person and one on yourself.”

School plans

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction sent a notice out to schools Friday about the coronavirus and the need for schools to make contingency plans in the event there is an outbreak in any of the communities around the state, according to Newell Haffner, Gresham School District superintendent.

Haffner plans to meet with his school nurse this week to hammer out a plan in the event coronavirus arrives in the area, but for the time being, the school district is continuing to clean and sanitize all surfaces like it does with influenza and other seasonal bugs.

“We have a long-established pandemic plan in place since the time of the swine flu epidemic,” said Becky Wendel, registered nurse, the Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District nurse.

Wendel noted the CDC website has a special protocol for how schools are expected to handle a pandemic situation and that WBSD follows the standard recommended practices of having students and staff stay at home if they are sick, covering mouths when sneezing or coughing, and cleaning high-use surfaces frequently.

Public health planning

The Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department is in the process of putting a plan together to respond to the possibility of coronavirus reaching the area, according to Health Officer Vicki Dantoin, who runs the department.

At this point, however, the department has no information to share, Dantoin said Monday.

“We’re working on different preparations and things,” she said.

Dantoin said there was no one else in her office who could provide further information and she could not share what kind of planning was being done.

“I don’t know that I should specify quite yet, because there’s a number of angles it could take,” she said. “I couldn’t tell you exactly what it is. It’s planning stages and stuff.”

Dantoin said her department was not ready to put out information to the public.

“We don’t need to spread anything about that quite yet. We’re working on doing public messaging at some point,” she said.

Dantoin said the department is working with the tribes and other health departments. She said she might be able to provide more information in a week or two.

Shawano County Emergency Management Director James Davel said his office is currently not involved in any planning regarding the coronavirus and said it was something the health department would have more information on.

Davel also said the number of people who have contracted the coronavirus are relatively few.

“There’s been more people killed by the flu than this thing,” he said. “That’s across the world.”