Coronavirus: Barnstable Health Officials Monitoring

BARNSTABLE, MA — Barnstable health officials said they are continuing to monitor the outbreak of the new coronavirus in Asia and Europe as well as new cases as they pop up in the United States. Thomas McKean, the director of public health, said there haven't been any cases in Barnstable County, and the community risk for contracting COVID-19 remains low.

Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, told reporters in a conference call last week the question is no longer if the coronavirus, now officially called COVID-19, will spread across the United States but when that will happen.

As of Monday afternoon, there were 41 positive tests of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, with one confirmed by the CDC and 40 awaiting confirmation. Fifteen of the presumptive positives cases are in Middlesex County.

McKean said right now, the risk for influenza is much higher, but there is an emergency response plan in place in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak. The health department also provided links to visit the DPH's website or the CDC's website for more information.

"It is important to note that residents are much more likely to become sick with a cold or the seasonal flu," McKean said in a statement. "Over 8,000 people in this country die each year from influenza. Many of the symptoms of Influenza and Coronavirus are similar and some of the precautions are the same. "

Those precautions include:

• Frequent hand-washing, for 20 seconds with soap.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Cough hygiene – into a tissue when possible (throw it away immediately) or into your arm.
• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose with unwashed hands.
• Avoid contact with those who are ill.
• Stay home from work or school when ill.

Influenza vaccinations are available here at the Health Division Office at Barnstable Town Hall. You may schedule an appointment for a flu shot by calling our Public Health Nurse Margaret Stanton at 508-862-4648.

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks 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 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.