As cases of the coronavirus infection have emerged in the United States, Pima County health officials say the virus’ threat to the community is low, but they are still preparing for the worst.
As of Feb. 27, no cases of the virus have been reported in Pima County.
The never-before-seen strain of the virus was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China, late last year.
To date, the Pima County Health Department has assessed 79 returning travelers from China along with their contacts, and no infected individuals have been identified, said the county’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia in a Feb. 26 memo.
On Jan. 26, the first and only case of coronavirus in Arizona was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Arizona State University student was released from isolation last week.
“My assessment is that the threat to our community and to Pima County in general is low at this time,” Garcia said. “We maintain a posture of heightened vigilance and continue to monitor the situation very closely.”
The CDC is urging communities throughout the United States to prepare for a potential outbreak. The disease caused by the virus, called COVID-19, is a respiratory condition that causes shortness of breath, fever, and cough and can spread as easily as the flu.
As of Feb. 27, the CDC reports more than 82,000 cases and 2,800 deaths worldwide, most of which are in China. The United States has had 60 known cases of the infection, 42 of whom were passengers on a Diamond Princess cruise ship.
According to Garcia, the Arizona Department of Health Services activated its Health Emergency Operations Command in response to the identification of the case in Maricopa County. The Pima County Health Department is following suit and working quickly to update its outbreak preparedness plan.
Local hospitals prepare
Local hospitals are also preparing for a potential community spread of the coronavirus. According to Banner-University Medical Center Tucson officials, the hospital has infection prevention leaders who work to carry out response plans in the event of an influx of potentially infectious patients. Hospital officials said they are well staffed and equipped if an outbreak were to occur.
“Outbreaks such as COVID-19 and influenza are best controlled through consistent application of public health and infection prevention principles. Banner safely provides care to patients with respiratory viruses every day,” said Gordon E. Carr, chief medical officer at Banner-UMC. “Our routine processes of masking patients who have fever and respiratory illness, screening for travel history, and following our transmission based precautions policy not only help us provide safe patient care but also a safe work environment.”
At Tucson Medical Center, health-care officials said they are following protocols set by the CDC, the state and county.
“We are also actively engaging in scenario planning for any changes in the situation and ensuring that we have adequate supplies for our health care professionals and patients to meet any demand,” said a statement by TMC officials.
Northwest Medical Center and Oro Valley Hospital have also put a response plan in place to protect patients and staff in the case of an outbreak.
They are using screening guidelines for symptoms and risk factors, just as they do for other infectious diseases.
“We understand the sensitivity at this time and want to reassure the community that we remain alert and ready to provide such care if necessary,” said Northwest officials in a statement.
Protect yourself
Health-care officials say the best way for people to protect themselves from the virus is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, stay at home when you are sick, wash your hands thoroughly and often, and get vaccinated against influenza.
Even as the county and local hospitals prepare for a potential coronavirus outbreak, health-care officials say that the flu is still a bigger threat as it has killed more than 16,000 people nationwide.
Since the flu season began in October, there have been nearly 26,000 reported cases in Arizona, with more than 2,100 cases being reported in Pima County.
