In the wake of the Centers for Disease Control and
Preventions’ recent warnings on the spread of the
COVID-19 (known as coronavirus), South
Dakota School of Mines & Technology lecturer and
epidemiologist Elizabeth Racz, Ph.D., MPH, advises
people to be cautious and use common sense.
“Don’t panic, but be prepared,” Racz says. “Protect
yourself by sleeping well, eating well, keeping your immune system in good
shape.” In addition, think about your “community” in case of a quarantine or
illness, and consider what you would need, she says. “Who will you help and who
will help you? What resources will you need?”
As of Feb. 27, there were 82,294 reported cases of coronavirus worldwide, according
to the World
Health Organization (WHO) and 62 in the United States, according
to the CDC.
The South Dakota Department of Health
currently shows
zero cases in the state.
The coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan City in
China in January and has spread around the world in a relatively short period.
Like the viruses SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, coronavirus spread from animals to
humans, although the definitive animal source has yet to be identified, Racz
says. The “spillover” of the virus was likely due to human consumption of an
animal or proximity to the animal, Racz says. The virus is now spreading from
human to human, according to the CDC. Racz says in most cases of animal to
human spread, the viruses don’t become contagious between humans as quickly as
coronavirus did. This is just one of the “unique” things about this virus, she
says. The current death rate from the coronavirus is approximately 2% with the
highest death rate for people – particularly men - older than 60. Symptoms
of the virus include fever, cough and shortness of breath.
South Dakota Mines has been monitoring the coronavirus
situation since it first surfaced, adding information
and resources on its website for students in January, according to South Dakota
Mines President Jim Rankin.
The university has an emergency management plan
and an emergency management team that meets and trains regularly to address
situations such as a virus outbreak. In the event of a contagious disease
outbreak on campus, the university would follow the recommendations of the CDC,
the State Epidemiologist, the SD Dept of Health, healthcare providers on campus
and other health officials, Rankin says. “We would be working closely with
emergency management officials in local, state, and federal offices to ensure
the safety of our students, faculty and staff,” he says.
The South Dakota Board of Regents is also keeping a
close eye on the outbreak, releasing a statement that reads, “Our campuses
monitor these types of situations closely and they have processes/procedures in
place to assess and address any impact on operations resulting therefrom.
At present, our campuses are continuing to follow their normal processes for
monitoring and addressing issues such as this, and no special system action has
been taken with respect to the Coronavirus specifically.”
Racz, who teaches in the chemistry, biology and health
sciences department, said one complication in this outbreak is that many people
who become infected could be asymptomatic but still infectious. For that
reason, common sense measures are needed to prevent a spread. These include:
- Wash hands regularly and properly
- Do not touch your face, including your
eyes
- Cover cough with arm or cloth
- Stay home when sick. Racz points out that
employers have a responsibility to their employees to encourage them to take
sick time without fear of job loss.
- Keep surfaces, light switches, doorknobs
clean
- Maintain good sleep hygiene
- Eat healthy
- Reduce stress
Racz says much is not known about this virus because it’s
completely new to humans. “Our bodies have never seen this before,” she says.
“Our bodies are naïve to this virus.” According to the CDC, it could be more
than a year before a vaccine can be developed to combat the coronavirus.
In the meantime, Racz
urges people to obtain their information about the virus from reputable sources
such as the CDC and the World
Health Organization.