How Ready Is Montgomery County For Coronavirus?

ROCKVILLE, MD — As fears of a coronavirus outbreak spread in the U.S., Montgomery County health officials tried to reassure residents that they are working hard to get ahead of a potential pandemic and believe the "overwhelming majority" of people are at low risk of contracting the respiratory virus.

The Montgomery County Council was briefed Tuesday by local health officials on the coronavirus and the county's efforts to safeguard residents should the disease spread to Montgomery County.

"(T)he overwhelming majority of folks here at home and in our community...are at low risk for contracting it, and even if one contracts it, they are at low risk for having a severe outcome," said Dr. Travis Gayles, the county's health officer and chief of Public Health Services.

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The virus — now dubbed "COVID-19" — emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 and has since infected more than 90,000 people and killed more than 3,000 around the world. In America, authorities have reported at least 149 cases and 11 fatalities across 13 states.

There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maryland. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Maryland Department of Health said 10 people have tested negative for the disease and 11 other tests were pending.

COVID-19: What is it?

In an effort to assuage any community fears about a potential pandemic, Gayles and Earl Stoddard — the county's director of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security — spent more than two hours presenting information about COVID-19 and answering questions about possible next steps.

"It's important to explain to folks that coronavirus...is a specific term that refers to a family of different viruses," Gayles said. "The common cold is a coronavirus. SARS, that we saw several years ago, is a coronavirus. COVID-19...is a novel strain.

"Just because it's new, does not mean it's not something we're not entirely familiar with in terms of the family of other viruses within the coronavirus family," he added.

According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning that they can spread between people and animals. In humans, symptoms of COVID-19 include a fever, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Gayles said the disease can spread: through the air by coughing and sneezing; through close personal contact (i.e., shaking hands); touching a contaminated object or surface and touching your mouse, nose, or eyes before washing your hands; and, rarely, feces.

COVID-19 isn't the only thing health officials are keeping tabs on. As more cases crop up around the world, so do the bogus claims and misinformation about the virus.

Because of how much false or misleading information is out there, WHO has declared an "infodemic." The organization defines it as "an over-abundance of information — some accurate and some not — that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it."

At the council session, Stoddard urged residents to "stay calm" and seek out credible information.

"It is incredibly important that people not rush to judgement as news changes, and try and keep an even keel, look for the good, solid information," he said, adding: "this is a serious situation, but you need to stay calm and rational about this."

Who is at risk?

Health officials across the world are trying to learn more about the virus.

But Gayles says: "If you are an otherwise healthy individual where you have a healthy immune system — there's no reason to think your immune system is not intact and you can respond appropriately — you can contract COVID-19, develop those symptoms, be sick for a few days, but convalesce and do very well and return to your normal status of health before you contracted the illness.

Those who are most at risk, he said, are individuals with compromised immune systems and the elderly.

According to Gayles, the death rate for people with no health problems is 0.9 percent. For those with high blood pressure and long-term problems, such as those caused by a lifetime of smoking, the death rate is 6 percent. The death rate rises to 7 percent and 11 percent in people with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, respectively.

How contagious is COVID-19?

According to health officials, COVID-19 isn't as contagious as other, more common diseases.

During the presentation, Gayles referred to a schematic diagram from WHO that showed the average number of people infected by an individual with a certain disease.

Measles was reportedly the most contagious disease on the chart (average of 12 to 18 people). Then came:

• Smallpox (5-7)
• Polio (5-7)
• Mumps (4-7)
• HIV/AIDS (2-5)
• SARS-CoV (2-5)
• Influenza (2-3)
• COVID-19 (1.4-2.5)
• Ebola (1.5-2.5)

The numbers were based on WHO estimates as of Jan. 23, 2020.

Regardless of where COVID-19 is on the list, health officials say the virus still should be taken seriously.

What are the symptoms?

Gayles said symptoms — such as a fever, cough, and shortness of breath — may appear two to 14 days after exposure.

The incubation period for COVID-19 is 14 days.

If you do not experience symptoms after 14 days, "we feel very confident that you are negative for the disease," Gayles said.

What preventative measures should be taken?

Most obviously: avoid close contact with people who are sick; avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; and stay home when you feel under the weather.

Gayles also advised people to cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue and promptly throw it in the trash, clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using regular household cleaning sprays or wipes, and wash their hands. If soap and water is not readily available, Gayles said people can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent of alcohol.

As for buying face masks? Don't bother.

People should only be using face masks if they are symptomatic or ill, according to Gayles.

In the event that people are sick with any respiratory virus and need to self-quarantine, Gayles and Stoddard recommended that they build a preparedness kit for their home.

Some useful items to have include:

• Pain relievers, fever reducers, decongestants, and cough drops
• Thermometer
• Alcohol-based hand sanitizer,
• Non-perishable food
• Facial tissues, other paper products
• Extended supple of prescription medications
• Diapers or pet supplies (if needed)

"With those kits, we recognize that not all our residents know where they are going to get their next meal today — let alone whether they can save food or do a preparedness kit. So, in thinking about that, the messaging that we are essentially putting out there is those who are capable of doing some of these things, do them not just for their benefit but for the benefit of everyone so that when we get more into this, those people who don't have the opportunity to stockpile will still be able to go," Stoddard said. "Even if the supply chains are interrupted, they will not be interrupted in such a way that you wont be able to go to the grocery stores. And just by depressing the load that may be put onto our grocery stores or pharmacies now, we can actually protect people who may not be able to do the same stockpiling today."

"Those of us who can prepare have a responsibility to do so to help protect those who can't," Stoddard added.

What's the county doing?

Gayles said that emergency preparedness teams have been working with national, state, and regional networks since January. Efforts include weekly calls with the CDC and the state, contingency planning, meetings with Montgomery County Public Schools about what to do if decisions around closures are needed, routine drills, and constant updates from health officials across the country.

Stoddard encouraged residents to sign up for the public health and environmental alerts under Alert Montgomery, the official emergency communications service for the county. Event updates, warnings, and instructions can be sent to any device.

"If there's an action we're asking the public to take, it will go out — in combination with public information — but also through the alert system," Stoddard said.

In addition to signing up for Alert Montgomery, health officials said residents can learn more about the virus by calling the county's Disease Control Unit at 240-777-1755 or the Maryland Department of Health at 410-767-6700 (during regular hours) or at 410-795-7365 (after hours).

SEE ALSO:

• Montgomery Outlines Coronavirus Preparedness Efforts, Tips