HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – Hill and Blaine County Public Health Departments held a meeting Wednesday, Feb. 19 to discuss COVID-19 formally known as the Coronavirus.
Blaine County Health Advisor Jana McPherson-Hauer says research shows the virus is not as contagious as the measles and right now is primarily fought off with our immune systems.
“All of the information that has come out from the CDC remains the same. We have a pretty good idea that it is spread from person-to-person through droplets, similar to other respiratory viruses. It’s important to note that Montana has zero persons under investigation at this time and zero cases. What we do know is that the cases in the United States are all related to travel.”
McPherson-Hauer says recovery can be straightforward but if the patient has other underlying conditions that’s when things can get complicated.
“So, it’s novel, it’s new and that presents a little bit of a challenge because we’re a population that, we say, is naive to that particular virus. So, we don’t have a natural immunity. It is similar to other viruses that are spread in a droplet fashion. So, you have to be close enough to an individual who is infected to where they could actively spread droplets to cause infection. I think it is important to say it’s not air born.”
For more information contact your local health department or go online to CDC.gov or Montana’s state website dphhs.mt.gov.
