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03/10/2020 12:19 PMWith reports of a confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Connecticut and more in neighboring states, Connecticut’s Department of Public Health (DPH) is working closely with municipalities to address the illness in the state.
“We are on weekly conference calls with the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)] and [Connecticut Department of Public Health],” said Scott Martinson, director of health, Connecticut River Area Health District, in email correspondence with the Courier. “We converse with our town leaders, school superintendents, school nurses, and other local partners.”
With rapidly changing information, Essex Director of Health Lisa Fasulo said “the biggest part of what we try to do is have consistent messaging. We want everyone to have the same information from the same source at the same time.”
For local health departments, their efforts are directed by information from the CDC.
“Connecticut is not going to do anything different[ly]. We will use Connecticut law and statutes, but we would still be following CDC guidance,” said Fasulo.
As of press time, one case of COVID-19 had been reported in Connecticut. Neighboring New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island have confirmed additional cases of the virus.
COVID-19 belongs to a group of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses. It can be passed from person-to-person, through direct contact, or after being exposed to expelled droplets from an infected individual’s coughs or sneezes.
The virus can also spread by touching surfaces contaminated with an infected person’s germs and then touching the eyes or mouth.
U.S. travelers returning from trips abroad, especially areas for which a level 3 travel alert has been issued, are asked by state and local health departments to isolate themselves for 14 days to prevent possibly infecting others.
As a precaution, Region 4 Superintendent of Schools Brian White announced at a March 5 Region 4 Board of Education meeting that an anticipated trip to Spain with a departure date of March 31 for a group of Valley Regional High School students was canceled.
White and his team “felt very strongly this was the right thing to do,” he said at the meeting.
On Feb. 28, White sent a letter to parents and staff, informing them of the district’s preparation in anticipation of an occurrence of COVID-19 in the school community.
In the statement, White says the district will continue “to maintain healthy practices in our schools to reduce the spread of flu and other illnesses.”
These practices include cleaning frequently used areas such as classrooms and providing hand sanitizer and tissues to students.
School policy asks that any student who has been ill or had a fever to remain at home for 24 hours once his or her temperature has returned to normal.
For the overall community, “my advice is to stay informed, and practice proper personal hygiene,” said Martinson. “Proper hand-washing is extremely important as well as properly containing one’s coughs and sneezes. We are not encouraging the general public to stock up on or wear face masks.”
While people of all ages can become sick, the World Health Organization says that adults and those with pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease are more susceptible to COVID-19.
“The message, from all local health departments is [that] it really is up to individuals and their personal behaviors to prevent them from getting sick…having good hygiene and staying home when sick,” said Fasulo. “All those things that our grandmother[s] and mothers taught us when we were kids…it really is true.”
In addition to a “health alerts” tab on the town website, Fasulo has been working with the Essex Library Association and Ivoryton Library to provide resources and up-to-date information for the public.
The Essex Library has print resources on-site and has devoted a page on its website to information on COVID-19.
“Part of our jobs as a library is to help people have that personal information that they need to also feel prepared,” said Essex Library Association Executive Director Deborah Smith. “I am very pleased that the resources that we have [received] from the town and state has allowed us to share resources.
“I think the key thing is, the library is here. We are here with the community throughout. We are partners with them in making sure they have the information that they need,” she added.
COVOID-19 was first reported on Dec. 31, 2019, in Wuhan, China, with the source of the outbreak originating from animals being sold at an open-air market, according to the Connecticut Health Care Coalition.
The virus spread internationally with the first case of COVID-19 reported in the United States on Jan. 21. On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization cited the outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern.”
The first death caused by the virus was reported in the state of Washington in late February. On March 3, the CDC announced there have been 60 cases of COVID-19 reported in 12 U.S. states.
Information on COVID-19 can be found at ct.gov/coronavirus and www.cdc.gov/covid19.