By Cash Caldwell
Paris, Tenn.—A large crowd was on hand Thursday afternoon for a Coronavirus Community Forum held at Sweet Jordan’s Coffee Shop. Henry County Medical Center (HCMC) staff including Lori Stambaugh; Community Educator, Jacki O’Brien; Infection Prevention, and Neely Ashby; Chief Nursing Officer, presented information and answered questions regarding the 2019 Coronavirus pandemic.
The three said arrangements have been made at HCMC to conduct the test while the patient remains in their automobile near the emergency room entrance, thereby limiting the chance of exposing others. They said they can also contact the local Health Departments for testing.
What should I do if I believe I have contracted Coronavirus? Patients should immediately self-quarantine and avoid contact with others. They should then notify their health care provider and describe any symptoms they are having. Tell your doctor if you have had any contact with persons who had recently travelled abroad.
Your health care provider will then decide if you require further testing. Testing involves a swabbed saliva sample which is collected and sent to a testing facility with a turn-around estimated at 3-4 days.
Discussed were common sense steps everyone can take to avoid becoming infected with Coronavirus. Because Coronavirus is now believed to be mainly transmitted through airborne respiratory droplets, people can limit potential exposure by taking measures that include frequent and thorough hand-washing, maintaining a safe distances from others, avoiding unnecessary contact with others, and to avoid touching your facial areas including eyes, nose and mouth.
The use of hand sanitizers with a 62% alcohol content should be considered a back-up to the much preferred hand washing. It was noted that for hand washing to be effective a thorough hand scrubbing for a duration of 20-seconds is needed followed by a thorough rinsing and drying of the hands.
For further information and updates refer websites for the Centers for Disease Control, The Tennessee Dept of Health and Henry County Medical Center.
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