Low Coronavirus exposure risk.
Local officials are on high alert and the Dubois County Health Department is staying one step ahead of the virus.
There are no confirmed cases in Indiana at this time.
They are working with area hospitals, labs, and healthcare professionals in case of a coronavirus exposure.
The CDC says there is a low risk of transmitting the disease in the US. Those who have been evaluated for the virus are testing negative.
Dubois County Health Department Administrative Director, Jo-Ann Spaulding, says the risk of contracting the flu is much greater.
Spaulding also says if a person recently traveled to China, the traveler will be monitored for 14 days for symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, and fever.
Coronavirus exposure is similar to the flu. It spreads by touching an object or surface with the virus, close personal contact or respiratory droplets released into the air by coughing or sneezing.
Spaulding says you can protect yourself by washing your hands frequently with soap and water, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, avoid close contact with people who are sick, cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, and frequently disinfect objects and surfaces.
We’re also told that residents have asked if the regular flu vaccine protects against the coronavirus.
According to Spaulding, there’s no vaccine for the coronavirus at this time. Because the virus is new, health officials are learning more about the transmission patterns and incubation.
There is also no need to worry about items shipped from China. Health officials say the virus’s lifespan only lasts a few hours.
For information about the coronavirus, head to in.gov/isdh.
