The following information is being shared on behalf of Madison County Public Health. The London City School District and Madison County Public Health collaborate regularly on best practices for keeping our community healthy.
Coronavirus Update for Madison County
Madison County Public Health (MCPH) and Madison Health (MH) have been working together since the beginning of the year on coronavirus(COVID19) preparation. Together the two entities have worked to provide information and guidance to various healthcare providers in the county as the situation has changed. Additionally we have provided social media updates and information for the general public on COVID19.
Across Madison County and Ohio, the COVID19 situation has not changed much in the last week. What has changed is the rhetoric surrounding it. Updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including “when not if” or “inevitable” statements about COVID19 in the United States, have caused people to pay a little more attention to the situation in the country. However, local facts about COVID19 remain unchanged:
- There are zero cases in Madison County.
- There are zero cases in Ohio.
- There is currently one Person Under Investigation (PUI) in Ohio. A PUI is a person who has traveled to China and is experiencing symptoms of COVID19. Symptoms can include a fever, cough, or shortness of breath (note that these are the same symptoms as many other respiratory illnesses).
- This is not the first PUI in Ohio. During the last two months there have been seven other PUIs in Ohio – all of which tested negative for COVID19. Across the US, there have been 445 people who were PUIs but also tested negative for COVID19.
- There are other people in Ohio who traveled to China and have no symptoms at all and are under public health supervision. These people, who have no symptoms but have traveled to China, are monitoring themselves for two weeks and reporting in to their local public health department if they have symptoms. This is also not new and has been going on for two months across country.
- There is no confirmed community transmission of COVID19 in Ohio or the US. All COVID19 cases in the US have been travel-related (12) or close household contacts (2) of poeple who have traveled abroad. The suspected community-transmission case of COVID19 in California is still under investigation.
- Madison County residents should continue to adhere to travel bans and warnings. No one should travel to China right now. Travel should be restricted to several other countries as well according to CDC recommendations. Those CDC recommendations can be found at cdc.gov/travel
Prevention is still the best tool for COVID19 across Ohio. We talk about prevention all the time. We firmly believe that personal choices are going to play a huge part of how this illness, or any respiratory illness, plays out. We all have a personal responsibility to help prevent COVID19:
- Cover every cough and sneeze with your arm.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Wash your hands often.
- Don’t put your hands in your mouth, eyes, or nose.
- Avoid people who are sick.
- Clean frequently touched surfaces.
We also encourage residents to use common sense about face masks. There is no simpler way to say this: face masks are for sick people and healthcare workers. Masks work well to help limit the spread of illnesses from those who are already sick. Masks do not work well to help the general public stay healthy. If you traveled to China in the last two weeks (or have been around a confirmed case of COVID19) and experience symptoms of COVID19, you should CALL your healthcare provider first. If you do not have a healthcare provider, you should CALL Madison Health at 740-845-7333. If you have questions COVID19 you can contact Madison County Public Health at 740-852-3065 or at info@madisonpublichealth.org.
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