Preparing for Potential Coronavirus Pandemic

How the Douglas County Health Department is monitoring the virus and what they say you can do to prepare for a potential pandemic.

COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT ISMONITORIING THECORONAVIRUSSPREAD CLOSELY.THIS AFTERNOONOFFICIALS SPOKEWITH MEMBERS OFTHE MEDIA ABOUTWHAT FAMILIESCAN DO TOPREVENT THESPREAD OF THEDISEASE.REPORTER PHILBERGMAN WAS ATTHE NEWSCONFERENCE..HERE'S WHAT THEYWANT YOU TOKNOW.WITH FEARS OF APANDEMIC SPREADOF CORONAVIRUS,DOUGLAS COUNTYHEALTH OFFICIALSARE SAYING NOWIS THE TIME TOPREPARE.WE KNOW IT ISBEST TO PREPAREAND NOW ISPOTENTIALLY THETIME TO PREPARE.WORLDWIDETHERE ARE MORETHAN 82,000 CASESOF CORONAVIRUS,IN THE UNITEDSTATES THERE ARE60 CONFIRMEDCASES WITH NODEATHS.HEALTH OFFICIALSARE URGINGFAMILIES,SCHOOLS ANDBUSINESSES TOHAVE PANDEMICPLANS IN PLACE.WHAT WOULD WEDO IF INDIVIDUALSARE SICK ANDONLY HALF OF OURSTAFF CAN COME.EACH OPERATION,EACH BUSINESSSHOULD HAVE APANDEMICINFLUENZA PLAN.DOUGLAS COUNTYHEALTH OFFICIALSSAY FAMILIESSHOULD HAVE ALONG-TERM PLANFORCORONAVIRUS.THIS INCLUDESHAVE A TWO-WEEKSUPPLY OF FOOD,BEVERAGES ANDMEDICINE AT YOURHOUSE.THOSE TYPE OFMEASURES I THINKWOULD BE VERYAPPROPRIATE TOTHINK ABOUTTODAY.SINCE END OFJANUARY 84TRAVELERS HAVEREPORTED TOCOUNTY OFFICIALSTHAT THEY'VERETURNED FROMCHINA, JAPAN ORITALY.71 ARE EITHERCURRENTLY BEINGMONITORED ORARE DONE WITHTHE 14 DAY PERIODOF BEINGMONITORED BYTHE COUNTY.THIS IS ANIMPORTANT ISSUEAND WE'RE ASKINGYOU TO SELF-REPORT TO USBECAUSE WEWANT TO HELPYOU PREVENTTRANSMISSION INYOUR COMMUNITY.WE DO A QUICKRISK ASSESMENTWITH THEM ANDWE ENROLL THEMIN A SURVERYTWICE A DAYWHICH ASKS FORTHEIR SYMPTOMSANDTEMPERATURES.IN ITS DAILYBRIEFING, U-N-M-CAND NEBRASKAMEDICINEOFFICIALS SAIDTHE 15 PEOPLEFROM THEDIAMONDPRINCESS CRUISESHIP IN TOWN FORCORONAVIRUSMONITORING AREDOING WELL ANDDISCUSSIONSABOUT ATIMETIMETABLEFOR TESTING AREIN EARLYSTAGES...THE 15PEOPLE ARE NOWIN THE NATIONALQUARANTINE UNIT,WHICH IS ALOWER-LEVELCONTAINMENT UNITCOMPARED TONEBRASKABIOCONTAINMENTUNIT.IT IS A NEW VIRUSAND WE DON'THAVE ANYIMMUNITY, NONEOF US HAVE ANYIMMUNITY AGAINSTTHE VIRUS.COUNTY HEALTHOFFICIALS ARE INCONSTANTCOMMUNICATIONSWITH OTHERDEPARTMENTS.DR.POUR SAYS ON ATEN POINT SCALE,THECORNONAVIRUSFEAR FACTORSHOULD BEAROUND A 2 OR 3.IF YOU AREPREPARED, YOUDON'T NEED TOWORRY, IT'S THOSEWHO ARE NOTPREPARED WHOSHOULD WORRY.REPORTING INOMAHA, PHILBERGMAN, 3 NEWSNOW.HEALTH EXPERTSSAY WE SHOULDDO ALL THE THINGSTHAT WE DODURING FLUSEASON: WASHYOUR HANDS ANDCOVER YOURMOUTH WHEN YOUCOUGH.THE DOUGLASCOUNTYCORONAVIRUSINFORMATION LINEIS ON THE BOTTOMOF THE SCREEN.