Northwest Iowa — While it sometimes doesn’t seem like a big deal, county Public Health Departments are urging people to take COVID-19 seriously.
O’Brien County Public Health Director Judy Nieuwenhuis tells us that some people might be thinking that compared to the population, there is a fairly low number of cases here, so our behavior isn’t that important.
But she says — on the contrary — social distancing and other prevention measures are very important. She says many people don’t ever get symptoms, and you can spread the disease even in that state. Some people are asymptomatic for the first few days and THEN they get sick, but studies show they are contagious before they show symptoms.
Nieuwenhuis cites the recent outbreaks at Tyson and Smithfield Foods as an example.
Experts are also reminding us that generally, only those who end up at a medical facility are tested — so this disease could literally be all over the place. They say if we want to protect the vulnerable people around us, we all need to comply with social distancing and stay at home as much as possible. She says we should assume that the virus is everywhere and is circulating throughout the population — and not assume that the only people infected are the cases that have been announced.
You can find prevention tips from the Iowa Department of Public Health by clicking here.
Photo caption: O’Brien County Public Health Director Judy Nieuwenhuis discussing coronavirus with Sanford Sheldon CEO Rick Nordahl
