To the editor:
Worries about the COVID-19 influenza point to the need for universal healthcare and improved worker’s benefits
As a former CDC nurse, I know how hard the agency works in tracking diseases here and around the world.
I can tell you the CDC scientists are some of the smartest and most dedicated people with whom I’ve ever had the pleasure to work. They have said for many years now, that it’s not a question of “if” an outbreak would occur in the U.S., but “when.”
That said, I think we all need to understand that this virus is not a hoax. It’s important to listen to the scientists and not the politicians.
CDC has indicated that the risk of community outbreak of the COVID-19 is still low, but they also say, no one can predict how widespread it will become. When I checked in with our own Brown County Health Department, I was pleased when the nurse told me that the health department is in constant contact with CDC and the Indiana State Department of Health, monitoring the outbreak and keeping up with the recommendations.
Currently, the CDC recommends preventive measures typically used for the seasonal flu, such as:
Coughing into your elbow, washing your hands for 20 seconds several times per day, and trying not to touch your face. If you feel unwell, stay home.
If you feel very sick, have cough, fever, trouble breathing, and/or chest pain, you should seek medical care.
The potential of an outbreak in Brown County does beg the question, what if?
What if a cluster of COVID-19 cases was identified in Brown County?
What if schools, daycares and businesses were forced to close for two weeks to one month?
People without health insurance will be reluctant to seek medical care because of the cost.
People without paid sick time will be reluctant to stay home and self-isolate because they are living paycheck to paycheck. Two weeks to one month without pay will sink many families. They’ll need help with food, medicines, power bills, housing cost. Would be a lot easier to withstand an outbreak if everyone had access to affordable healthcare and good worker benefits with adequate sick time.
Are we well-prepared as a community? An open question, I think. The economic impact to Nashville (a tourist town) is one thing. The impact on the lives of Brown County citizens is quite another.
Paula Staley, RN, candidate for State Representative District 65
