NOTE: Since the publication of this story, one Chatham County man has had a presumptive positive test for COVID-19. For the latest on that, read this article from Friday, March 6.
Editor’s note: For a closer look at what it’s like to be in the epicenter of the coronavirus scare, see a special report from News + Record contributor Buck Ryan by clicking here.
Headlines and social media have been filled in recent weeks with talk about the coronavirus and COVID-19, but what do you need to know? Here’s a quick look at the latest on the viral infection and what it means for Chatham County.
What is COVID-19?
According to the World Health Organization, COVID-19 is the shorthand for the “most recently discovered coronavirus,” meaning it’s the latest in a line of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe respiratory illnesses. All coronaviruses are transmitted between animals and people, and COVID-19 is believed to have begun in Wuhan, China, in December.
The WHO says common symptoms include “respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties,” and “in more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.” COVID-19 has a death rate of around 2 percent, and around 1 in 6 people who get the virus become seriously ill.
What’s happened since the spread?
According to the March 2 situation report from the WHO, there are nearly 89,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths related to COVID-19. The United States was home to more than 100 reported cases, and two people died in Washington state over this past weekend from COVID-19 — the first U.S. deaths. The report also stated the majority of patients suffering from the virus are adults.
On a non-medical level, multiple countries have closed schools and banned international travel, as well as quarantining areas where the virus is expected to have spread. Japan closed schools until early April, Saudi Arabia prohibited entry for individuals coming to the country for religious reasons and many companies are falling short of their financial goals partly due to the virus.
What about Chatham County and North Carolina?
The state government reported Tuesday that a person from Wake County tested positive, but was doing well and in isolation at home.
A press release stated that the announcement “represents an isolated case,” and that “local health officials are identifying close contacts to monitor symptoms and contain spread.”
According to the county’s Public Health Department, there are no known cases in the county.
“Chatham County leaders are committed to the health and safety of all our residents,” Layton Long, the county’s public health director, said in a statement. “County departments and offices are actively coordinating in preparation and planning for any potential impacts to the Chatham community. The public health department and other key partners are in ongoing communications with local health care providers, healthcare facilities and state health officials to develop appropriate responses to potential cases of the novel coronavirus in the county.”
Alyssa Byrd, president of the Chatham Economic Development Corporation, said the county’s business community is paying attention to what might happen.
“We have several businesses with suppliers located in China, but to our knowledge, direct impact hasn’t been significant to date,” Byrd said. “The effect of the virus on global and local markets is making businesses reflect on the overall resiliency of their operations.”
The state government has put together a COVID-19 Task Force to coordinate efforts around the state’s response to the spread of the virus. Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, the state’s health director and Chief Medical Officer for the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, said the state is “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.”
What can I do in response to COVID-19?
The typical advice from health officials has been along three lines:
• Use good protection measures: Fighting against the spread of COVID-19 is similar to fighting the flu or other respiratory illnesses: wash your hands frequently, avoid close contact with people who are ill and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. Long said these measures “will greatly reduce the probability of infection.”
• Don’t buy all the face masks: Reports have begun coming out that hospitals and other medical facilities are running out of face masks. The WHO said that wearing multiple masks is “not effective against” COVID-19.
• Push back against stigma: The CDC and Chatham County have both warned against “incorrectly directing fear or anger at others.”
“Stigma hurts everyone by creating more fear or anger towards ordinary people instead of the disease that is causing the problem,” the CDC said. “We can fight stigma and help not hurt others by providing social support. We can communicate the facts that being Chinese or Asian American does not increase the chance of getting or spreading COVID-19.”
For the latest on COVID-19 from the Chatham County Public Health Department, visit chathamnc.org/coronavirus, which county Health Promotion and Policy Director Michael Zelek said would be “updat(ed) as new information and resources become available.”
Reporter Zachary Horner can be reached at zhorner@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @ZachHornerCNR.