“We have traveled this road before. It may look a little different this time due to a change in season or circumstance, but it is the same road.
This time it is the coronavirus.
This afternoon I was on the phone with other state and local leaders from across the country on a teleconference with Trump administration officials from a variety of departments to talk about this new virus.
There is a lot of speculation right now and a lot of misinformation being spread. It is important for each of us to make sure we are accessing good, credible information. I recommend this source:
As I learned today most cases of the coronavirus are mild and for average, healthy people, other than a period of discomfort and isolation, they will be fine.
Those people most at risk are older individuals and those with underlying health risks like lung disease or other diseases where the individual has a compromised immune system. This at-risk group should practice social distancing until the current outbreak is under control.
For anyone who becomes ill, at this time the best practice is to self-isolate. While this practice may be contrary to some personalities, for instance, those who just tough it out and show up to work even when sick, in this case it would be best not to be so tough and just stay home.
If we can help slow the spread of this virus, we give our health care professionals and medical researchers more time to care for those that need it and potentially find a treatment.
Institutions are encouraged to enforce strict sanitation and staff hygiene practices.
In the meantime for most healthy people, we should continue normal daily habits and routines and trust that we’ve been down this road before. There are engaged professionals in every department of government at the federal, state, and local levels are putting prudent plans in place and helping to minimize risks. Early containment efforts by the state department provided the US with lead time to help prepare. Because there are millions of test kits being delivered nationwide and public health labs open in every state, there will, for a time, be a growth in the number of coronavirus cases. That is expected and is no reason for fear.
We all must exercise prudent care to reduce the likelihood of contracting the virus and the spread of the virus. We all have that responsibility. A quick reference guide for best practices is attached.”’
