Advice for residents on spring break travel

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care public health department continues to work with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local partners to monitor and respond to novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The virus was first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and has since been detected in other parts of the world, including the U.S.

As Spring Break nears, many Iowans are making travel preparations. IDPH and Community and Home Care remind vacationers to make protecting their health part of their plans. Whether traveling to a sunny beach, a ski resort or enjoying a staycation, take time to learn about and prepare for health concerns.

Across the country, the greatest health risk to northeast Iowa residents is from influenza; however, it is appropriate to take precautions against the COVID-19 virus.

“The prevention for COVID-19 is similar to how you protect yourself from a variety of viruses, like influenza,” said Lisa Moose, Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Director. “Cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands frequently, and stay home from work or vacation when ill.”

We continue to learn more about COVID-19 as the response progresses. Most often, person-to-person spread is thought to happen among people in close contact (about six feet) with each other. This spread is believed to occur when an infected person coughs or sneezes and droplets land on another person’s nose or mouth. Therefore, when at home or traveling, it is important to avoid being near people who are visibly ill. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.

IDPH posts statewide numbers of persons being monitored, persons being tested and test results on the IDPH webpage at https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Visit this web page for up-to-date information and follow the department on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/IowaDepartmentOfPublicHealth and on Twitter at @IAPublicHealth.

For more information locally, call Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care at 563-568-5660.