Presentation for The Schenectady County Legislators By Lisa Ayers, Director of Schenectady County Public Health Services March 2, 2020
A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus that has not previously been identified COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by this novel coronavirus There are many types of coronaviruses, several of which cause the common cold This novel coronavirus has been given the name SARS-CoV-2, as it is similar to the virus that caused SARS in 2002-2003
Some coronaviruses infect humans, while others infect animals It is rare that coronaviruses that infect animals emerge to infect humans, and are able to spread person to person This is the likely origin of SARS-CoV-2, although the exact source has not yet been determined Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS)and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) are two examples of these viruses that originated from animals and then spread person to person
COVID-19 can cause mild or severe respiratory symptoms such as cough, fever, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia Based on data from China, approximately 80% experience mild symptoms, 15-20% experience severe symptoms Fatality rate approximately 1-2% but may be lower. This is higher than influenza (estimated to average around ~0.1%) but much lower than SARS (9.6%) and MERS (34.4%). It appears more likely to cause severe symptoms in older people and those with underlying medical conditions
This virus was first identified in Wuhan City, Hubei Providence, China The first infections were linked to a live animal market, but the virus is now spreading person to person A person who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness to others through respiratory droplets produced when a person coughs or sneezes (within 6 feet).
This is a rapidly evolving situation that is changing daily CDC data retrieved on March 1,2020 reports 60 countries now are reporting confirmed cases of this virus, 81,109 confirmed cases globally as of February 27, 2020 China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea are classified as level 3 for travel recommendations Japan is classified as level 2 for travel recommendations
In the U.S. there have been a total of 472 persons tested for this virus, a total of 15 confirmed cases, 12 directly related to travel and 3 cases from person-person spread To date there have been 22 persons in upstate NY and 8 persons in NYC who have tested negative and there is currently 1 confirmed case in NYS Person to person transmission has been reported in California, Oregon, and Washington
Frequent hand washing with soap and water for 20 seconds; if soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands Avoid close contact with persons who are sick Stay home if you are sick Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw away the tissue in the trash Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects Mask are not recommended for well individuals. Face masks should be reserved for those in health care system or who are ill with respiratory symptoms.
The Communicable Disease and Emergency Preparedness teams are participating in daily conference calls with The New York State Department of Health Developing, reviewing, and updating our county response plans with input from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Working with our local community partners and schools to assist them with their own preparedness activities
Providing frequent educational sessions with our staff to keep them up to date with the situation Developing key messages for our staff to provide to the community Providing information for the community on the Schenectady County website and social media platforms Conducting surveillance activities 24/7 to ensure the health and safety of county residents and visitors Inventorying and ordering all necessary personal protection equipment
*Information for this presentation was provided in part from: The CDC: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH): health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/ NYSDOH call center available 9am-6pm: 1-888-364-3065
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