HUTCHINSON, Kan — A panel of doctors, Health Department Director Nick Baldetti and Chamber President Debra Teufel all gathered for a round table public forum on COVID-19 Tuesday afternoon.
The panel took questions from the public via e-mail to get as much information out about the virus as possible. Most of the questions surrounded the usual including steps you can take to keep yourself healthy, travel restrictions and what to do if you feel you may have the virus.
The forum was also an opportunity to debunk some of the myths on the virus. The biggest one is that the virus is an airborne illness.
“It is spread through droplets versus airborne,” Baldetti said. “The difference being that simply being in the presence of somebody, the viral body is not just in the air.”
The other question that comes up often is about the phrase “flattening the curve”. Baldetti says the term does not have to do with stopping the virus but rather slowing its spread to keep medical care available.
“When we’re talking about flattening the curve...we’re talking about our health capacity,” Baldetti stressed. “If we inundate and overwhelm our healthcare system as a whole, then it’s not only COVID-19 patients that show up at our health care facilities but its also those who have other illnesses and other situations that also require care.”
The medical practices in the city have also started taking precautions for those who may come into their facilities feeling sick. They stress that if you feel you may have COVID-19 to call your physician before coming into the clinic. Dr. Rogena Johnson with Prairie Start healthcare Center says they are working to limit patient exposure to other patients and staff.
“Both internally, I guess with our own employees, in terms with our interaction with patients. Since we do have an urgent care component, we have placed signs on our the front doors of our different areas that if patients do have concerns over exposure or symptoms, that we ask them to return to their vehicle and call and an infection control nurse will speak to the patient so we can limit it coming into the building, to begin with,” Johnson said. “In terms of inside our facility, again we went to online meetings and restricted or stopped business travel.”
Mental health issues were also discussed during the forum Ken Johnson with Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System says Horizons Mental Health Center is working to address the stress and mental issues that come from the current events.
“Much of their efforts have already been focused via telehealth option so we have that social distancing and we’re able to take care of patients in multiple counties,” Johnson said. “If there are anxieties, if there are folks that need to reach out there are resources within Horizons that certainly can be accessed and utilized."
Baldetti says they will continue to provide updated information each day. Teufel says they are working with the state to help provide avenues for workers who may be laid off or lose their jobs during the COVID-19 outbreak.