Courtesy of the CDC
This past weekend, Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced that the state had its first "presumptive positive" case of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. A young woman from St. Louis County who had been studying abroad in Italy returned home and was tested at a Mercy hospital in Creve Coeur. Her test will now be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while she self-quarantines at her family's home in Ladue. (You can read more about the first case of COVID-19 in Missouri here.)
According to the CDC, COVID-19 is a new virus that is thought to spread person to person, by close contact (about 6 feet) or through respiratory droplets. Symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath two to 14 days after exposure. The outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. As of Sunday night, there were 21 coronavirus fatalities and 547 confirmed cases in the United States; however, the CDC reports that, “for most people, the immediate risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be low. This virus is not currently widespread in the United States.” Older adults and those who are immunocompromised are believed to be at greater risk.
At a Saturday press conference with Parson, U.S. Representative for Missouri's second congressional district Ann Wagner said that she had spoken to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn, and that by Monday, an additional 1 million COVID-19 tests would be available in the U.S. An additional 4 million would be available by the end of the week. Wagner also said that Congress passed a $7.8 billion emergency funding package for government officials to respond to the spread of coronavirus. Of that, $4 billion would go to diagnostic tests and $2.2 billion to the CDC to support local officials.
So what should you do to protect yourself against the virus? St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, who is also a medical doctor, took to YouTube to share information about how St. Louis is preparing to treat people with the virus and how St. Louisans can prevents its spread:
Page reiterated these points in a Saturday press conference:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
- Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
- Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
- Avoid contact with sick people.
- If you are sick, stay at home and avoid contact with others.
If you think you might have coronavirus, you can call ahead to an urgent care or emergency department to receive instructions on where to go and when.
St. Louis County has also launched a coronavirus website and hotline: 314-615-2660.
