West Tennessee Healthcare and the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department are working together to prevent the spread of COVID-19 novel coronavirus in West Tennessee.
According to a press release from Mallory Cooke – Public Information Officer, Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department –
We became aware of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Williamson County, Tennessee through the Tennessee Department of Health this morning.
The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation
and has constant contact with the Tennessee Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“We as public health officials monitor communicable diseases on a daily basis,” Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department Director Kim Tedford said. “We have processes in place to deal with disease outbreaks. We work closely with West Tennessee Healthcare and other health care providers to keep them updated on the latest recommendations and guidelines from CDC. We will continue to do this, especially during this evolving situation.”
West Tennessee Healthcare has been preparing to see COVID-19 patients since early February.
Our goals are the following:
Prevent the spread of respiratory diseases.
Promptly identify, isolate, and care for patients with possible COVID-19, as well as inform the
correct facility and public health staff.
Monitor and ensure the safety of any healthcare provider that might be exposed to COVID-19.
Regularly update and educate all staff and the community related to COVID-19.
COVID-19 is not currently widespread in the United States, so no additional precautions are
recommended for the general public to take beyond normal practices to help prevent the spread of
respiratory illness.
We encourage the community to take the following steps to prevent the spread of illness:
Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water
are not available.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue
Stay home if you are sick
Stay away from people who are sick
If you experience symptoms and believe you need to see a provider, please let your provider know that you have respiratory symptoms and if you recently traveled.
Facemasks will be provided to coughing patients upon entry to the facility.
If patients are identified as a possible COVID-19 patient, they will be rapidly moved and separated from other patients for further evaluation. Processes are in place to notify local (our Infection Control
professionals) and Tennessee Department of Health officials if a suspect case is identified. Testing will be done by the State Department of Health and not at local facilities.
Most symptoms are mild with this virus, but it is important to stop the spread of this illness. Please seek immediate treatment if you experience moderate or severe symptoms.
(PHOTO: Mallory Cooke – Public Information Officer, Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department)
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