News

Contact: Lynn Falcone, CEO

March 5, 2020

Cuero, TX - With the world’s attention increasingly focused on the Novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19, Cuero Regional Hospital wants to share the latest information and what the Cuero Health team has been doing to ensure maximum preparedness.

“Cuero Regional Hospital is following all CDC guidelines for screening. Travel screening has been increased from just China to include Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Iran. This list could grow or change anytime, so our Infection Prevention/Employee Health/Education Coordinator Keisha Whitman, RN, CIC is staying abreast of all updates, including monitoring all State and CDC webinars on the topic,” said Lynn Falcone, CEO of Cuero Health.

Another resource the Hospital has found valuable is access and support from Methodist Incident Command System, including all updates and information on the virus shared daily. Per the CDC, the Cuero Health staff is following the established recommendations of Standard, Airborne and Contact Isolation procedures for protection. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.

The CDC shared that the vaccine to fight against this strain of the Coronavirus is 12-18 months from development, so they always recommend everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases including COVID-19,

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
• CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
• Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

“Some of our staff members have asked ‘what is the difference between the coronaviruses we have been testing for years and COVID-19?’ According to the CDC, there are many types of human coronaviruses including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused be a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans,” said Falcone.

She added, “There is no evidence of spread of the virus in the setting of using proper precautions: patient isolation, use of N95 masks, and activation of PPE. Evidence also indicates that the route of transmission is respiratory and our staff is trained on how to contain respiratory viruses via precautions/procedures in place,” said Falcone.

Symptoms of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) virus:

1. Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
2. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure

1. Fever
2. Cough
3. Shortness of breath

“Coverage of COVID-19 has contributed to global anxiety; however, we remind our healthcare providers that we treat patients every day with far more dangerous and deadly respiratory illnesses such as influenza, which has already caused 19 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths this season in the U.S alone,” said Judy Krupala, Chief Nursing Officer at Cuero Regional Hospital.

“While being alert and informed with the development of COVID-19 is important, as well as following the recommendations from CDC, we need to keep this in perspective and do our part to stay healthy by following the everyday preventive actions recommended to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases including COVID-19.”

For more information, Krupala encourages the public to stay informed on the latest regarding the coronavirus via the CDC’s website - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html, as well as the Texas Department of State Health Services website - https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/

“We will continue to provide updates and resources from both the CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services to our staff and the public to ensure that we are doing everything in our power to educate and protect our patients,” said Lynn Falcone, CEO of Cuero Health.

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About Cuero Regional Hospital

Cuero Regional Hospital is located at 2550 N. Esplanade in Cuero, Texas and offers an ED- Level IV Trauma Center, on-staff General Surgeon, and a TeleStroke program, as well as TeleCardiology and TelePsychiatry program. For more information, visit www.cuerohospital.org or call (361) 275-6191.