by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
What started a couple of months ago as a trickle of concerns about the Covid-19 virus had become by the second week of March a wave of infections, illnesses, deaths, closings and cancellations nationwide and nationally, including preventive reactions right here in Central Minnesota.
The virus, which was first known in China, has now shown up in virtually every nation on the planet.
In St. Joseph, for example, the Arlington Place senior-living facility announced a severely restricted visitors’ policy, allowing for admittance of staff members only other than rare exceptions for immediate family members of its residents. Also in St. Joseph, the St. Benedict’s Monastery canceled its annual banquet for nuns.
In Sartell, another senior-living facility, Country Manor, announced it will allow into its campus buildings only immediate family members of residents and only after they complete a form specifying where they have traveled and people they have been in contact with during the previous 14 days.
CentraCare Health, throughout Central Minnesota, also now bars visitors at all of its sites, including St. Cloud Hospital. The only exceptions are made for loved ones of patients who are suffering unstable, critically-ill or terminal conditions. Parents of patients who are minors can also be admitted for visits.
Far from being a “hoax” perpetrated by the media or anti-Trump Democrats, as many people claimed, the Covid-19 virus now poses a clear and present danger worldwide, according to medical professionals. On March 12, it was announced that a person living in Stearns County had been diagnosed as being infected with the virus.
The extent and geographical spread of the virus has been poorly understood for weeks, mainly because not nearly enough test kits to detect it have been available in the United States. However, medical facilities, the federal government, states and local governments are working fast and furious to prevent the spread of the virus and to care for those whose lives may be jeopardized by it – so far, elderly people over 60 who have underlying medical issues such as diabetes, heart problems or cardio-pulmonary conditions.
As of March 12, there were 1,401 confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection, with 40 fatalities and 15 recoveries. On that same date, there were 133,039 cases internationally, with 4,947 dying from it and 68,891 recovered from the illness.
There is no cure for the illness, and a vaccine might take a year or more to develop. The best way to stay safe, according to the National Centers for Disease Control, is to practice social avoidance (especially from large, packed-in crowds) and to practice impeccable hygiene habits – washing hands thoroughly many times each day and not touching one’s face with hands or fingers. People should carry strong handkerchiefs or tissues and cough or sneeze into them. Those who feel ill, even if they don’t know if it’s caused by the flu virus or the Covid-19 virus, should stay home (known as self-quarantine). Before going to a clinic or hospital, people who suspect they may be infected with Covid-19 should call first and talk with a health professional.
Another way to stay safe is to seek out accurate information about the Covid-19 pandemic. As scientists and disease specialists, learn more about it, the public, by keeping informed with the latest facts, will be able to help prevent it or limit its spread. A good site to start in pursuit of accurate information is to visit online the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control.
The Covid-19 virus, which caused drastic tremors on the stock market, has elicited unprecedented responses far and wide: church-service, nursing-home and school closings, people working at home via Internet, cancellation of foreign trips, teams cancelling events or playing games in virtually empty stadiums and auditoriums, and many more adjustments and changes of virtually every description.
Other public places, including schools, are carefully studying the situation, leaving open the drastic option of having to close schools for weeks or longer.
