Downers Grove Recommends Preventive Measures Against Coronavirus

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — Downers Grove village officials recently released an update advising residents to take preventive measures against coronavirus. Downers Grove Mayor Bob Barnett said in a Facebook post that he and other Downers Grove trustees held a conference call with state, federal and health department officials to get debriefed on the status of the virus in Illinois, which has now been declared a statewide disaster.

Barnett wrote that he and Commissioner Greg Hose, along with the village manager and emergency management coordinator and other Illinois mayors had a phone call with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Health Department's Dr. Allison Arwady. Barnett said he also consulted with DuPage County Mayors and officials from the DuPage County Health Department about the current coronavirus outbreak.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain of the virus that causes COVID-19, called SARS-Cov-2, emerged in China in late 2019 and is related to other strains that have caused serious illnesses in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 and no antiviral treatment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, some preventive measures include:

• Staying home when ill
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue
• Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Using hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol
• Avoiding touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoiding close contact with sick people
• Cleaning surfaces and objects that are touched frequently

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Read more on Patch:

• 4 New IL Coronavirus Cases: Pritzker Issues Disaster Proclamation
• An Outbreak Of Coronavirus Misinformation: AP Fact Check
• Coronavirus Outbreak: Tips To Prepare At Home