The City of Southport
Joseph P. Hatem, MD, MPHMarch 13, 2020 – Fact Sheet
Coronavirus Disease 2019 COVID -19—A Highly Communicable Respiratory Disease. Origin, a food market in Wuhan, China –December 2019. Zoonotic—transmitted from animals to humans—Bats, Snakes, Pangolins—scaly anteaters.
Novel Coronavirus causative agent SARS-CoV-2 –In the viral family of SARS, this is the fifth Coronavirus—the common cold is one of these viruses.
Symptoms: Fever, Cough, and Shortness of Breath –this is a respiratory illness pneumonia is the severity clinical issue. Some patients may have mild symptoms or no symptoms. Presentation can be similar to Influenza.
At Risk Population: Age—60 years old and above
Chronic Medical Conditions: Patients with:
- COPD/Asthma and other Lung Diseases
- Diabetes—Immune and Obesity issues
- Smoking Cigarettes —Chinese Men have a higher mortality rate than Chinese Women—more men smoke than women
- CAD—Heart Disease including Heart Failure—Circulation and other ancillary conditions associated with this. The respiratory illness places an increased work load on the heart.
- Immunocompromised Patients: bone marrow diseases, active chemotherapy, transplant patients
Harvard Epidemiology Professor—Marc Lipsitch: “I think the likely outcome is that it will ultimately not be containable.” February 24, 2020 Lipsitch predicts that within the coming year—40 to 70 percent of people around the world will be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Many will have mild cases.
Data: COVID-19 US cases 1,339 Fatal 38
Global 129,304 Fatal 4,752
NC Cases 14 Announced by Dr. Elizabeth Tilson State Health Director and CMO for the Department of Health and Human Services. All patients at home and doing well. Gov. Roy Cooper – declared a state of emergency–the state to receive $13,829,514 from the CDC. The state has 250 test kits and has requested more.
Influenza 2019—2020
CDC Estimates: 34,000,000—49,000,000 Million Flu Illnesses
Flu Medical Visits: 16 million to 23 million
Flu Hospitalizations: 350,000—620,000
Flu Deaths 20,000—52,000
Mortality Rate: 0.1%
Mortality Rate for COVID-19 estimated by Dr. Anthony Fauci—Director NIH is 1%. Therefore ten times the mortality rate for influenza.
Testing: Symptomatic patients who are negative for Flu Test and therefore have unexplained fever, cough or shortness of breath. Patients without symptoms should not be tested.
Patients who have a significant travel history –Italy—Cruise Ship etc. or who have been in contact with a person who is positive for the disease.
Dosher Clinics have test capability. CALL FIRST. It requires a nasal swab and an oropharyngeal swab, both placed in the same vial medium. Quest and LabCorps have test kits for clinical use. Testing can also be sent to the state lab.
Public Health Principles to be followed in the protection of our citizens during this pandemic—worldwide spread of a new disease based on geographic spread, severity of illness, and effects on society—which was declared by WHO general director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus—March 11—“ WHO ..is deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction.” IT IS IMPORTANT FOR SOUTHPORT AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES TO PUT INTO PRACITCE PUBLIC HEALTH PRINCIPLES—DETECTION, TESTING, CONTACT TRACING,ISOLATE, QUARANTINE, MITIGATION, SOCIAL DISTANCING AND CONTAINMENT in conjunction with county, state , and federal public health agencies.
Mitigation: ELIMINATE GATHERING OF LARGE CROWDS.
UNC President Dr William Roper has declared that in person classes will end by March 20th.
Duke and many other universities have declared similar mandate.
UNC Medical conference this week was converted to a webinar.
NBA suspends season.
Many businesses have employees working from home.
March Madness—college basketball—-minimal attendance—not open to the public, initially and now canceled. Other sports—baseball, hockey, soccer, events canceled.
Southport—All large events/venues cancelled, until further notice.
Churches—Consider your risk before attending
IF YOU ARE SICK, STAY AT HOME. CALL YOUR DOCTOR’S OFFICE OR ONE OF THE NUMBERS LISTED BELOW. IF AT A LEVEL OF SEVERITY, SEEK MEDICAL CARE BUT CALL FIRST—–YOUR CLINIC/DOCTOR’S OFFICE, TO 911, OR BRUNSWICK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT 910-253-2250
NC DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH 1-866-462-3821 CDC 1-800-232-4636 THESE LINES ARE OPEN 24/7
There are websites: cdc.gov ncdhhs.gov brunswickcountync.gov with information on COVID-19.
MITIGATION CONTINUED: GOOD HYGIENE AS IN ANY FLU SEASON—HAND WASHING HOT WATER / ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP FOR 20 SECOND. HAND SANITIZER. STAY OUT OF CROWDS. KEEP YOUR DROPLETS TO YOURSELF—ESPECIALLY DURING A COUGH. IF YOU ARE SICK –STAY AT HOME. QUARANTINE YOURSELF. SOCIAL DISTANCING! WE HAVE AN OLDER DEMOGRAPHIC POPULATION—WE MUST DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO CONTAIN, MITIGATE AND PROTECT OUR CITIZENS AS WELL AS PROTECT THE HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS.
DOSHER HOSPITAL HAS MADE PREPARATIONS AND IS IN CONTACT WITH SOUTHPORT CITY GOVERNMENT, BRUNSWICK COUNTY GOVERNMENT/HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS A PUBLIC HEALTH, MEDICAL, SOCIETAL, ECONOMIC, AND SPIRITUAL CHALLENGE. WE WILL RISE TO THE OCCASION AND MOVE FORWARD. OUR CITIZENS HAVE THE RESOLVE AND OUR CITY IS PREPARED.
February 28, 2020 – A potential global pandemic of the Coronavirus is a public health challenge for many countries that have cases of this novel viral illness, and it is a call for all countries to enact public health measures of prevention, education, identification, quarantine, containment and contact tracing, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Mayor Joseph P. Hatem, MD, MPH asserts, “The City of Southport recognizes the possibility of the spread of contagious diseases and has been at the forefront of these efforts since the days of the U.S. Quarantine Station that was located in the Cape Fear River, off of our shore, and Dr. J. Arthur Dosher was the Quarantine Officer from 1918 until 1937.”
As of February 27, 2020, there are fifty cases in the United States, and none identified in North Carolina. World-wide there have been more than 81,000 cases reported.
The Mayor affirms, “It is important for the citizens of our community to not be alarmed but to be aware and informed and to know that the city is involved in promoting and protecting the health of its people.”
Southport City Government is making preparations now for any potential cases of COVID-19 in close cooperation with county, state, and federal public health officials as well as with Dosher Memorial Hospital.