Now that the CoVID-19 Coronavirus has caused over 64,000 infections and 1,383 deaths around the world, North Carolina is ramping up efforts to protect its citizens. Our state has officially launched the Coronavirus Task Force – including one of America’s first Coronovirus helplines.
The official task force will be led by NC’s Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson and NCEM Director Mike Sprayberry.
“Though currently the risk to North Carolinians is low, we are taking a proactive approach and are prepared for potential scenarios,” said Governor Cooper. “This task force will continue coordination between our agencies and federal partners so we can keep the public informed and safe.”
The task force has now started working with local health departments and clinicians to evaluate any potential cases and coordinate care and testing as needed. Working closely with the CDC, the department is coordinating health information sharing as this situation continues to evolve.
There are currently 4 People in Charlotte being held in quarantine, considered to be at a medium risk level for the virus. At this point, North Carolina has not had any confirmed cases.
According to the CDC, patients with confirmed CoVID-19 infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:
- fever
- cough
- shortness of breath
CDC believes at this time that symptoms of CoVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 after exposure. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS viruses.
Some of the best ways to protect against the coronavirus include;
- Wash your hands often with antiviral soap, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are are coughing or sneezing.
- Using NAC (N-acetyl L-cysteine)
- Using probiotics (especially those containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium)
- Immunity boosting vitamins, including; zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin D3
If you have any questions about CoVID-19 you can call 866-462-3821 or submit questions online at ncpoisoncontrol.org.