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Lisa Harrison, director of Granville-Vance Public Health, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.
With Phase I of NC Governor Roy Cooper’s easing of COVID-19 restrictions beginning Friday at 5 p.m., Harrison said it is important that the public remain vigilant in the “new normal” of washing hands frequently, wearing face coverings while out in public and maintaining physical distance when possible.
Informing listeners that coronavirus is transmitted through air particles in a process known as aerosolization, Harrison said wearing a mask is one way to protect others from your germs.
“Your mask protects everyone around you from your aerosolized particles and someone else’s mask protects you from their aerosolized particles,” explained Harrison. “Wearing a face mask to keep your germs to yourself is a beautiful sign that you care about other people.”
While COVID-19 is not thought to be spread through food, Harrison said it is important when preparing meals to practice good hygiene such as hand washing, thoroughly cleaning utensils and properly wiping down surfaces that food may touch.
With fever, coughing and shortness of breath remaining the primary symptoms of coronavirus, Harrison said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also added muscle pain, sore throat, chills and loss of taste and smell to the list of possible indicators.
“We have learned that the coronavirus affects everyone differently. One person may get a couple of these symptoms, while another person may experience more of these symptoms. The large majority of people that get coronavirus will not have severe illness, will not need oxygen and will not need to go to the hospital. More than 95 percent of the population who get coronavirus will have mild or moderate illness,” Harrison stated.
Protecting the remaining five percent of the population is the primary purpose of COVID-19 restrictions. “The reason we are taking precautions is for the rest of the population that will have severe illness, will need oxygen at the hospital and are in danger of losing their lives,” said Harrison.
This vulnerable population includes those who reside in congregate living areas such as prisons, nursing homes and group homes; people over the age of 65; and those with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, severe obesity and those on dialysis.
With two percent of coronavirus patients dying from related complications, Harrison said a common link on death certificates has been the presence of a previous underlying health condition.
“We want to make sure we protect all of these vulnerable populations that have a much greater risk of severe illness and death,” Harrison said.
For additional information on COVID-19 and updated statistics, visit the Granville-Vance Public Health website at www.gvph.org and the CDC website at www.cdc.gov.
To hear the interview with Harrison in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
