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Health officials discuss coronavirus to crowd at Courthouse

Dr. Scott Stienecker, medical director for epidemiology and infection prevention with Parkview Health, presents information about the new strain of coronavirus, labeled COVID-19, at a public meeting held by the Huntington County Commissioners on Monday, March 2, at the Huntington County Courthouse. While COVID-19 has not appeared yet in Indiana, the commissioners wanted to be proactive and disseminate information about the disease.
Dr. Scott Stienecker, medical director for epidemiology and infection prevention with Parkview Health, presents information about the new strain of coronavirus, labeled COVID-19, at a public meeting held by the Huntington County Commissioners on Monday, March 2, at the Huntington County Courthouse. While COVID-19 has not appeared yet in Indiana, the commissioners wanted to be proactive and disseminate information about the disease. Photo by Steve Clark.

Information about the new strain of coronavirus that has spread from China was presented at a public meeting called by the Huntington County Commissioners at the Huntington County Courthouse on Monday, March 2.

Representatives from the Huntington County Department of Health, along with Dr. Scott Stienecker, from Parkview Health, spoke at the meeting, which attracted a standing-room-only crowd in the courthouse’s GAR Room.

This coronavirus strain has been labeled “COVID-19,” which stands for “corona virus disease,” with “19” indicating the year it was discovered, 2019, explained Dr. Thomas Ringenberg, health officer with the Huntington County Department of Health.

Ringenberg noted that coronaviruses circulate in the animal kingdom, but that COVID-19 was unique.

“This is one that basically mutated and is able to be transmitted from the animal kingdom to human, and then it goes from human to human,” he said.

Information from the Indiana State Department of Health that was disseminated at the meeting by the Huntington County Department of Health stated that COVID-19 has been shown to cause fever and signs of lower respiratory illness.

Ringenberg said that COVID-19’s mortality rate was between 2 and 3 percent. He compared that figure to the mortality rate for the influenza virus, which he stated was 2 percent.

“It is highly contagious,” said Ringenberg of COVID-19, “but at the same time, it’s not highly lethal.”

As for COVID-19 making it to Indiana, Ringenberg reported that there are currently no confirmed cases of the disease in the state.
Stienecker, who is Parkview Health’s medical director for epidemiology and infection prevention, stated that while COVID-19 has not yet made it to the Hoosier State, the probability of it appearing here was over 70 percent. He added that he personally believed the probability was closer to 100 percent.

Stienecker said there are a handful of ways to combat COVID-19 at present.

“We … have three really good medicines, probably five or six that, once we better understand how to use them, really are going to be our mid-term solution,” he said. “But the long-term solution will be vaccination.”

On the topic of vaccination, Stienecker reported that there were two promising vaccines, but that it would probably be a year before either of them was available.

Stienecker said that household cleaners have been shown to be effective at eliminating COVID-19 from surfaces. On untreated surfaces at room temperature, he said, the disease can survive for five to six days.

Emily Schamehorn, public health nurse with the Huntington County Department of Health, provided several tips for preventing the contraction of COVID-19, should it appear in Indiana. As the spread of the disease can occur within six feet, she encouraged attendees to avoid contact with ill individuals. Additionally, she suggested that people avoid touching their faces and frequently wash their hands with soap and water, for a period of at least 20 seconds. She also recommended that, when feeling ill, people cover their mouths when coughing and stay at home, rather than go to work.

Rob Miller, vice president of the Huntington County Commissioners, announced that he wanted to create a taskforce, comprised of representatives from various local entities, to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak. He expressed a desire for the taskforce to convene for a meeting before the start of spring break. The taskforce, he said, would be led by Robert Jeffers, director of the Huntington County Emergency Management Agency.

To contact Jeffers, call 358-4870 or email robert.jeffers@huntington.in.us.

Ultimately, Commissioner Tom Wall expressed confidence in Huntington County’s preparedness for COVID-19.

“If something happens,” he said, “we’re ready.”