As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak evolves, Lexington Regional Health Center knows that our patients and community are concerned about how this infectious disease might affect them. The Lexington Regional Health Center team is working closely with our federal, state and local partners to respond. We are closely following the recommendations of the CDC, DHHS and our local health departments. This allows us to have up-to- date contingency plans and to ensure our practices reflect current guidelines.
It is important to know that Lexington Regional Health Center regularly prepares for emerging diseases and we are required to conduct frequent preparedness drills. We regularly train our staff about how to protect themselves as they care for patients. Just in the last decade, outbreaks like the swine flu (H1N1), Ebola, and Zika have strengthened our readiness and emergency preparedness effort. That work has taught us important lessons on how to respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, the CDC recommends everyday preventive actions to decrease the spread of any respiratory diseases, including those like influenza, such as:
- Practice good hand-washing techniques
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
If you have traveled to or been in contact with anyone who has traveled to China, South Korea, Iran, or Italy within the past 2 weeks it is recommended that you refrain from public contact, monitor for symptoms and notify your local public health department. If you have respiratory symptoms, including a fever, cough or shortness of breath please call ahead before seeing your provider or before going to the emergency room. Tell them your symptoms and let them know if you have traveled outside of the United States or have been in contact with someone who has traveled to one of the above listed countries.
If you have any reason to believe that you have been exposed to the Coronavirus, reach out to your provider and local public health department, Two Rivers Public Health Department 888-669-7154. For more information please visit https://www.trphd.org/, http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx, and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
