The Atchison County Health Department and over 20 other representatives from the city and county, commission, schools, long-term care, hospital, clinics, police departments, sheriff’s office, fire departments, dentist, etc. attended a COVID-19 preparedness meeting Monday, March 9, 2020. The Atchison County Health Dept. has been closely monitoring the situation as the World Health Organization classified the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) as a public health emergency on January 30, 2020. The health department has been following the progression of the disease and evolving guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The meeting discussed current containment measures in place, CDC guidance documents, planning resources, potential community mitigation measures, and next steps should a case be reported locally.

Some key points from the briefing included:

COVID-19 is spread person to person, generally between people who have close, prolonged contact with one another (within 6 feet).

The symptoms include fever (100.4 or higher), cough, shortness of breath.

The general public does not need to wear a face mask. Those who are ill and around others should wear a face mask.

There are no medications to treat COVID-19 and there is not a vaccine.

If you become ill, stay home and call your provider.  Increase your space away from others and monitor your symptoms.

Prepare to use non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). Personal NPIs include voluntary home isolation, respiratory etiquette, and hand hygiene. Community NPIs include school closure or dismissal and social distancing measures. Enviromental NPIs include surface cleaning.