Coronavirus update: What you need to know about COVID-19 on Wednesday, April 8, 2020

By STHS Communication Department

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is responding to an outbreak of a respiratory illness called COVID-19 caused by a new coronavirus first detected in Wuhan, China.  At particular risk are the elderly and those with underlying health conditions or compromised immune systems.

In an effort to keep the community informed, STHS officials – who are continuously in contact with the Louisiana Office of Public Health and the CDC regarding COVID-19 – have issued the following information for Wednesday (April 8).

As of noon Wednesday, the Louisiana Department of Health had confirmed 17,030 positive or presumed positive cases of COVID-19 in-state and 652 resulting fatalities. That’s up from 16,284 cases and 582 fatalities reported a day earlier.

So far, 4,766 tests have been completed by the state lab and 76,640 reported to LDH by commercial testing companies.

Of the confirmed in-state cases of COVID-19, 733 were in St. Tammany Parish, including 23 positive-tested patients being treated at St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington and another 17 with tests pending.

An additional 106 positive cases were reported in Washington Parish and 269 in Tangipahoa. The majority of in-state cases are in Orleans Parish (5,070 cases) and Jefferson Parish (4,092 cases), according to state-provided figures.

THE STHS OUTLOOK: St. Tammany Health System is prepared for COVID-19 in our communities. The following actions are among those that have been put into place:

• A system-wide protocol has been enacted at each of our facilities for the screening and isolation of any patient suspected of having the disease.
• In keeping with a Louisiana Department of Health order, STHS is prohibiting non-essential visitors to St. Tammany Parish Hospital.
• We are recommending patient video visits and other alternatives for in-person doctor’s appointments.
• For suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases, we are implementing all appropriate isolation and protective measures outlined by the CDC and follow their guidelines for hospital personnel and visitors. Additionally, we will immediately notify the proper parties, including the Louisiana State Epidemiologist, the Office of Public Health and the CDC.

• We continue to gather the latest information from the CDC, OPH and World Health Organization. We will update our processes as directed by the CDC and OPH.

THE NATIONAL OUTLOOK: As of Wednesday (April 8), the CDC was reporting 395,011 confirmed positive and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in the United States since Jan. 21, including 12,754 deaths in 55 U.S. jurisdictions (all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands). That’s up from 374,329 confirmed cases and 12,064 deaths reported a day earlier.

THE GLOBAL OUTLOOK: As of Wednesday (April 8), World Health Organization figures showed 1,353,361 confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been reported globally resulting in 79,235 deaths. That’s up from 1,279,722 cases and 72,614 deaths reported a day earlier.

AT YOUR HOME: St. Tammany Heath System infection prevention officials recommend the following preventative steps:

• In keeping with orders from Gov. John Bel Edwards, all Louisiana residents should remain at home except for essential activities, including work, grocery shopping or picking up take-out orders from restaurants, at least through April 30. If it’s necessary to go out in public, practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet from other people and avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.   
• Wash your hands frequently with soap, water and friction. If soap is unavailable, use hand sanitizer.
• Cover your mouth or nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or cough or sneeze into your upper arm, not your hands.
• Clean frequently touched surfaces with 1:10 bleach product or an alcohol-based cleanser containing more than 60 percent alcohol.
• Those 65 and older who have a fever of 99.6 or higher, and those under 65 with a temperature of 100.4 or higher, should stay home. Call your doctor if symptoms worsen.

Additional information can be found at stph.org/COVID-19; by calling the state’s 211 health information line; or by calling the St. Tammany Health System’s pre-recorded COVID-19 information line at (985) 773-1699, which is updated with new information as warranted.

Monitor stph.org/COVID-19 for coronavirus updates.