KINGWOOD — Entities that touch almost everyone in Preston County in some way met Monday morning to plan a coordinated response to the COVID-19 virus.
The meeting was called by the Preston County Health Department. Attending were representatives of the county commission, state police, Buckwheat Express, Preston Senior Citizens, Office of Emergency Management/911, EMS, volunteer fire departments, board of education, City of Kingwood, Bureau of Prisons, Camp Dawson, sheriff’s department, Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital, county clerk and Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy.
“The main purpose of getting together is to make sure we’re looking at this from a community standpoint, making sure that we’re all on the same page,” Preston County Health Department Director V.J. Davis said. “We want to make sure the response for Preston County we are doing is a coordinated response.”
Future meetings will be by phone or online, to avoid having a large number of people congregated in violation of CDC recommendations.
As of Monday morning, Davis said, he was not aware of anyone in Preston County having been tested for the coronavirus.
But, “I really don’t think we have any invisible bubble around us,” he said.
Cleaning hands and areas frequently is important, Davis said. A solution of one teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water is an effective cleaner, he said.
If you are sick, stay home, he urged.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources set up a 24-hour hotline to address public and medical provider questions and concerns regarding COVID-19 at 800-887-4304. For the most up-to-date information, go to
coronavirus.wv.gov or www.cdc.gov/COVID19.
The health department can be reached at 304-329-0096.
Mon Health PMH
Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital asks that people concerned they may have the virus call 304-329-1400 before going to the hospital. Visitors with symptoms related to respiratory illness, such as cough, fever and/or shortness of breath or difficulty breathing are asked not to come in unless seeking medical care.
Testing for COVID-19
County Health Officer Dr. Fred Conley said Mon Health Preston Memorial can test for the virus. It will be using LabCorp, which can provide results within three days.
“But we have to restrict that so we don’t have the ‘worried well’ coming in and using up all the tests,” he said.
To get tested, patients must have fever, a deep lower respiratory illness and have been exposed to someone with the virus or been in an area with a high number of cases.
PMH is setting up for drive-through testing in the parking lot, which will be announced soon.
“As soon as we get our first case in West Virginia or in Preston County, then everybody’s going to get scared,” Conley said. “We’ve had time to prepare, but we need to take this seriously.”
EMS protocol
EMS crews taking patients who may have coronavirus to the hospital will call ahead, Conley said, so that hospital staff can don protective clothing. Patients will be taken to the detox room for screening.
Preston OEM/911 Director Duane Hamilton said 911 dispatchers will question 911 callers if they have any symptoms that could point to the virus.
“I can see us getting completely overwhelmed,” said an EMS representative. “We’re already at the point where we can’t get any more hand sanitizer. We cannot get any masks. What we have is what we have.”
Davis said the health department hopes to receive supplies soon that it can share.
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