Tewksbury Departments Offer New Coronavirus Safety Tips

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury town departments shared tips on preventing exposure to the new coronavirus. There has been one confirmed case of the new virus, COVID-19, in the state, and over 87,000 globally, mostly in China. The one case in Massachusetts is a man returning from Wuhan, China, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

The Tewksbury Police Department issued a news release Monday with information on the virus's symptoms and how to prevent it. The virus, a respiratory illness, can cause fever, coughing, shortness of breath and pneumonia, the release said. Most people recover, but the virus can lead to severe illness or death, particularly in old or immunocompromised people.

While the risk of COVID-19 is low, the risk of influenze is high, with over 10,000 deaths nationwide already this flu season. The news release notes that some of the same things that prevent the spread of cold and flu can help prevent the spread of coronavirus, including:

• "Voluntary home isolation: stay home when you are sick with respiratory disease symptoms. At the present time, these symptoms are more likely due to influenza or other respiratory viruses than to COVID-19-related virus.
• Respiratory etiquette: cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw it in the trash can.
• Hand hygiene: Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going tot he bathroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60 to 95 percent alcohol.
• Environmental health action: Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces and objects."

The Tewksbury Health Department shared the following links with information on the new virus.

• Centers for Disease Control information
• World Health Organization information
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health information

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.

The CDC has prepared a fact sheet with basic information on the virus.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.