Delco First Responders Get Coronavirus Protection Gear

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Officials in Delaware County are continuing to prepare for potential cases of the novel coronavirus by providing gear that will protect our first responders in the event of a resident contracting the illness.

County officials met with members of police, fire and the EMS community on March 2 to address concerns and best ways to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

During the meeting, the county committed to providing all first responders with face masks to help protect themselves during emergency calls that may involve residents who have Coronavirus.

Then on March 3, masks were distributed to all county first responders.

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All first responders also have gloves and hand sanitizer in their emergency vehicles and EMS vehicles have additional safety equipment including protective eyewear.

Officials have been in daily communication with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor the situation.

As of Thursday, March 5, there are no confirmed cases in Pennsylvania.

However, one person is under investigation for the virus in Philadelphia, according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. This marks the third person to be investigated for the illness. The two other potential cases were tested negative.

According to the CDC, 10 people have died out of 99 cases across 13 states as of Thursday evening.

There have been roughly 90,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths worldwide.

County officials met on March 3 to discuss internal procedures and protocols for handling a local outbreak, should one occur.

The county, throughout the year, plans for emergency situations such as a pandemic. The county has plans in place for a possible outbreak and will continue meeting to discuss best practices to handle a local outbreak.

Right now, the best planning for all residents and employees is prevention.

State officials recently issued guidelines for residents returning from China.

The best way to protect yourself is to take the same precautions you would to prevent the flu or common cold:

• Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze with your elbow to avoid touching your face
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm/hot water for at least 20 seconds Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
• Clean surfaces frequently, including countertops, light switches, cell phones, remotes, and other frequently touched items
• If you are feeling sick, stay home.
• Rest, take care of yourself and don’t spread the germs.

Call a healthcare professional if symptoms develop, if you have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19, or if you have recently traveled from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19.

As with any medical situation, call 911 if you or the patient is in distress and it is an emergency.

The County does not perform the testing for 2019 Novel Coronavirus. National and academic labs are ramping up for testing. Testing will be performed based on clinical presentation and medical indication. If a resident tests positive for COVID-19, the county will follow the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s recommendations.

A lab in Chester County is beginning to test samples for the coronavirus.

The county’s facilities department is upgrading sanitation in all county buildings and taking extra precautions to ensure County buildings are as germ free as possible. Janitorial staff will be wiping down surfaces and doing additional cleaning in common areas and high traffic areas.

What is coronavirus?

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.

See full details on the virus from the Centers for Disease Control.

See more novel coronavirus coverage from Patch below:

• PA Preparing For Coronavirus Outbreak After Dire CDC Warning
• Pennsylvania Begins Testing For Coronavirus At Lab In Exton
• CDC Screening For Coronavirus At PHL As Health Emergency Declared
• As Coronavirus Fears Grow, Flu Deaths Skyrocket In Pennsylvania