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The Chronicle March 5, 2020 A3 It was only a matter of time - the coronavirus is now in North Carolina What you need to know to avoid infection Clement Little keJitor^, Broker s^M^^t 336-995-5544 Mile deoiestJiaig^3l!entile.con imwjllMatewB/Clem^ CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT It’s been over 100 years since the world has experienced a pandemic. In 1918, the Spanish Flu infected an estimated 500 million people with an es timated 20 to 50 million deaths, including about 675,000 Americans. Compare those statis tics to the current rate of infections of the coronavi rus. Since the coronavirus (now called SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) was first detected in China in early January, over 80,000 peo ple have been sickened and nearly 3,000 have died in China alone. The virus continues to spread around the world with few coun tries escaping the conta gion. According to the Cen ters for Disease Control, coronavirus has affect ed about 80,000 people worldwide, while the flu has affected at least 29 mil lion people and caused 16,000 deaths in the Unit- ■ ed States this season alone. The rate of death from the coronavirus is extremely low; only about 2 percent of people who have con tracted COVID-19 have died. Those who are older or who have chronic medi cal conditions are at higher risk of being seriously af fected. There is currently no vaccine to prevent CO- VID-19. At the date The Chron icle went to press, North Carolina had its first case of the coronavirus in Wake County, reported to be a person who had traveled to Washington state, where several infections and deaths have been reported. What do we know about the coronavirus? * According to Dr. Da vid Priest, Novant Health senior vice president and chief safety and quality of ficer, it’s more likely that you will come down with the flu than the coronavi rus at this time, although it is spreading within the U.S. and more cases will be identified. The most common symptoms are a fever, re spiratory illness and short ness of breath. “Across Novant Health, we have standard protocols in place to en sure we are prepared to care for patients who may have come into contact with emerging infectious diseases,” said Priest. “This includes a patient travel history screening and a mask-wearing pol icy for certain presenting symptoms. This is a rap idly evolving situation and we are working closely with national, state and local health departments to protect our patients and team members.” The best way to pre vent illness is to avoid be ing exposed to this virus. “During flu season, we always want to make sure we’re washing our hands, covering our mouths when we cough and not going to work or to school when we’re ill,” Priest said. Everyone should keep these things in mind to stay germ-free: *Wash your hands with soap and water fre quently, or use hand sani tizer. Avoid touching your nose or face. * Avoid touching door- knobs; Use your elbow or shoulder to push doors open. *If someone is sick, they should sleep alone to avoid spreading illness to loved ones. *Avoid shaking hands or other personal contact if you are ill or with anyone else who is ili. *Do not go to work or school if you have an illness like the flu. You coronavirus First time home buyer??? Let me help you get FREE MOREY You may be able to qualify for one of our down payment assistance programs along with utilizing your tax refund to get the.home ol your dreams! 0ie today for more information! 3720 Vest Mill-Road • Winston-Sakm NC« 27103 EdwardJones INVESTMENTS. Charmon M. Baker Financial Advisor 135 Jonestown Rd. Winston-Salem, NC 27104 Member SIPC Ph:336-768-7687) Cell:336-407-8701 channon .baker@ed.wardjones.com Fax: 1-888-294-6 i35 should not return until you have not had a fever for 24 hours and you have stopped taking fever-re ducing medication. Health officials are not recommending people with mild respiratory or flu symptoms to overreact and immediately flock to emergency departments or urgent care centers, but instead to stay home and self-quarantine until their fever has been gone for at least 24 hours and other symptoms have decreased. Some churches have already announced adjust- . ments to their services, such as avoiding hand- shakes or hugs during the “passing of the peace,” instead offering a friendly wave to fellow parishio ners. Winston-Salem/For- syth County Schools is also being proactive as they are collaborating with the Forsyth County Department of Public Health and other local and regional health organiza tions to plan for the pos sible spread of the virus. Brent Campbell, WS/FCS spokesman, said that the district’s cleaning crews “are being given instruc tions to do extra cleaning and disinfecting of hard surfaces.” Winston-Salem is also home to many events, in cluding concerts, sporting events and tourist destina tions that attract signifi cant crowds. With March Madness upon us, the NCAA .and ACC are both monitoring the situation as they prepare for the up coming tournaments. The ACC issued a statement that said in part, “As part of the preparations, we remain in communication with our institutions, local and state health authori ties and the NCAA. We will also continue follow ing the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” RiverRun International Film Festival, which be gins March 27 and runs through April 5, could also be affected by the spread of the virus. Executive Director Rob Davis said that the festival is keep ing a close eye on the latest developments, and that none of their interna tional guests appearing at the festival are from areas where outbreaks are cur rently taking place. Joshua Swift, Forsyth County Public Health Di rector said, “The Forsyth County Department of Public Health is working with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Ser vices (NCDHHS), other local health departments and health care provid ers as well as community partners, including the Wihston-Salem/Forsyth County Emergency Man agement Office, to prepare for any future potential lo cal cases.” ORGANIC PRODUCE ———— KJ^ —— GREENSAVINGS Nature's Promise offers affordable, organic produce you and your family can trust. That's our promise to you! (/ FOODWLION
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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