Coronavirus update: What you need to know about COVID-19 on Thursday, March 19, 2020

Thorough hand-washing is key to protecting yourself from COVID-19 coronavirus, experts say. If soap and water isn't available, use hand sanitizer. (Image via Shutterstock)

By STHS Communications 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 Thursday (March 19).

As of 9:30 a.m., the state of Louisiana had confirmed 347 positive or presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in-state and 8 resulting fatalities.

Of those statewide cases, 10 were in St. Tammany Parish, including one being treated at St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington. Two cases were also reported in Washington Parish and none in Tangipahoa. The majority of in-state cases are in Orleans Parish (231 cases as of Thursday morning) and Jefferson Parish (62 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 for their authorization to test any suspected cases. (Testing is currently being performed with authorization from the Louisiana Office of Public Health.)

• We have performed drills at access points to ensure the safety of STHS personnel and visitors.
• 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 midday Wednesday (March 18), the CDC was reporting 7,038 confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 in the United States since Jan. 21, including 97 deaths in 54 U.S. jurisdictions (all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands). That’s up from Tuesday’s reported figures of 4,226 confirmed cases, including 75 deaths, in 53 jurisdictions.

THE GLOBAL OUTLOOK: As of Wednesday (March 18), World Health Organization figures showed 191,127 confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been reported globally resulting in 7,807 deaths. That’s up from the 179,111 confirmed cases and 7,426 deaths reported Tuesday.

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

• Limit your contact with others by avoiding large crowds. (The CDC is recommending cancelling any events expected to draw more than 50 people for the next several weeks.) If it’s necessary to go out in public, practice “social distancing” by staying at least 6 feet away from other people.   
• Wash your hands frequently with soap, water and friction. If soap is not available, 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.
• If you have a fever over 100.4 degrees, a cough or congestion, stay home.

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.