KINGWOOD -— The Preston County Board of Health is asking residents to help keep West Virginia at low risk for the coronavirus.
“The governor’s office is recommending any large event of 100 or more people be cancelled,” V.J. Davis, director of the Preston County Health Department, said.
Davis said the department currently does not plan to do testing for the virus.
“Follow the basic recommendations and wash your hands. If you are sick, stay at home. If you have flu-like symptoms, been exposed or visited countries where the virus is prevalent,” call the hospital before seeking help, Davis said.
At the Thursday board of health meeting, Suzanne Peddicord, a nurse at West Preston, asked questions about problems that could be faced by county schools. On Friday, Gov. Jim Justice ordered state schools closed indefinitely.
“What do I do when the first child comes in complaining of symptoms of the virus? What do I tell the parents?” she asked.
“This becomes complicated in a school environment and is hard to control. A kindergarten child in a classroom could show symptoms. That class could have been in the gym touching everything and now a second grade class is in the gym this class just came from,” Peddicord said.
She said the county also needs a plan to feed the children.
“If the schools close we still need to feed the kids,” Peddicord said.
Davis said a meeting of local agencies is scheduled for Monday. He said he would bring her questions up at the meeting.
Davis said the Preston Health Department has received many phone calls from local residents seeking information about the virus.
“We might have to call in volunteers to help with the calls,” he said.
In other business, Davis said he does not see a decrease in the proposed 2020-21 health department budget.
“We might get an increase from money trickling down from the government for the coronavirus,” he said.
Davis said there are links to both the State Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the Preston County Health Department website and on its Facebook page about the virus. He said both sites are updated daily.
According to the CDC, the virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person, between people who are in close contact with one another, within six feet or through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or could be inhaled.
It may be possible a person can get the virus by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, according to the CDC.
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