By Melissa Rosequist
Twitter: @mrosequist_

Local school and government officials are closely evaluating the coronavirus disease as agencies are mobilizing to prepare for spread of the virus in Maricopa County.

On Friday, Feb. 28, the Scottsdale Unified School District announced the implementation of an incident command team comprised of district leaders specifically trained to respond to emergencies.

In addition, on the heels of the first United States deaths due to COVID-19, Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona Department of Health Services officials held a press conference March 2 to provide an update on Arizona’s preparedness efforts. Dr. Cara Christ, director of ADHS, said during the press conference COVID-19 is expected to spread to Arizona.

Coronavirus disease 2019, now being called COVID-19 by officials, is a new respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. COVID-19 is a part of a larger family of viruses called coronavirus, some of which are in circulation normally and can cause illnesses like the common cold.

There has been one confirmed case of COVID-19 in Maricopa County, announced on Jan. 26. The patient, a member of the Arizona State University community, had very mild illness and was released from isolation in February.

Maricopa County Department of Public Health officials state there is no risk of COVID-19 to the community from this individual.

As part of SUSD’s COVID-19 command team, the district has created a webpage at www.susd.org/COVID19 to update students, parents and community members.

Public Information Officer Amy Bolton, who is a part of the command team, says the decision to activate the group was in an effort to be proactive and get out ahead of questions and concerns from employees and parents.

“The discussion centered around what resources each of our areas have and how we can leverage them to best protect the students and employees during this period of heightened public health awareness,” Ms. Bolton said of a Feb. 28 meeting of the command team.

“SUSD’s next steps are to continue to monitor the situation, share factual information with staff and parents. We are also more vigilant with our monitoring of employee and student health to ensure that anyone showing symptoms receives attention.”

Similar to influenza, the people who are most likely to have severe disease and complications from COVID-19 are individuals over the age of 60, and those with other medical conditions like heart and lung disease or diabetes.

According to Maricopa County Department of Public Health, there is no confirmed community spread of the virus locally, which means it is not being spread from person-to-person.

However, experts predict there will eventually be community spread, and the county department is preparing for when/if this happens.

City Spokesperson Kelly Corsette says Scottsdale defers to Maricopa County and the CDC for issues like this.

“Should they provide any direction to the public, we would certainly amplify that,” Mr. Corsette said. “The city’s emergency response plans account for public health emergencies so that we can continue to serve the community during those situations. Our emergency response leadership team is discussing whether any adjustments to our plans, or whether any specific actions, are warranted at this point.”

Officials say COVID-19 is believed to be spread primarily the same way the common cold or flu spreads --- through respiratory droplets that are produced when someone coughs or sneezes. People who are most at risk of becoming infected with the virus are those who have been in close contact, within about 6 feet, of someone infected.

Public health protections

The risk of COVID-19 is low for Arizonans, public health officials said Monday afternoon, overall recommending citizens wash and sanitize their hands frequently.

Gov. Ducey says he has been updated on the evolving issue daily.

“Public health and safety are the most important responsibilities of state government and we are taking this threat seriously,” Mr. Ducey said. “I have been receiving daily briefings on the situation and continuous updates as it evolves to make sure all steps are being taken to protect public health. This morning I was briefed by Vice President Pence and senior administration officials on the latest when it comes to the national response.”

Mr. Ducey says federal officials committed to continue working with state leaders, provide support and staying in close and frequent communication. The governor lauded Dr. Christ for her expertise in public health, calling her the best in the country.

Overall, Mr. Ducey said Arizona is in good hands and he is confident in ADHS’s ability to manage the COVID-19 situation.

Dr. Christ explained, during the press conference, the fear and anxiety related to a public health scare, as she has three young children at home.

“The virus is spread by person-to-person,” Dr. Christ said. “Symptoms can appear within two-14 days after exposure and are very similar to flu. These include fever, cough and shortness of breath.”

The one person with the confirmed case of COVID-19 had a history of traveling to Wuhan, China.

“We have tested 26 Arizonans for COVID-19 and 24 of them have been found to not be infected,” she said, noting that the ADHS website will begin posting numbers of tested and infected patients.

“There are now several cases of COVID-19 in the United States in people without a travel history to an effected area. So we know the disease is spreading, and we can expect additional cases in Arizona. When a new disease like COVID-19 is detected, only the most severe cases are initially identified. As we learn more about the emerging disease we expand who we are testing based on improved understanding of the symptoms and the disease spread.”

As the Center for Disease Control recently has expanded the definition of who should be tested, Dr. Christ says based on this, officials expect the number of infected Arizonans to increase.

“We want to assure you, this is typical in disease surveillance. The more we’re looking for cases, the more we’re going to find. An increase in the number of cases does not necessarily mean the disease is more severe,” she said.

Dr. Christ says the public health system in Arizona is well-prepared for a possible pandemic in COVID-19, and as the disease is similar to flu symptoms, they are guided by the state’s existing pandemic influenza response plan.

The Arizona state public health lab began testing for COVID-19 on March 2, and samples will no longer be needed to be sent to the CDC. The lab has the ability to test up to 450 samples per day, Dr. Christ said.

“We do not anticipate any shortages in test kits for our state public health lab to test for this disease,” she said.

To help stop the spread of the disease, individuals are recommended to take precautions similar to other respiratory diseases such as:

• Washing your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds;
• Use an alchohol-based hand sanitizer
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands;
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick; and
• Stay home when sick.

Officials plan to update their website daily; to find the most up to date information about COVID-19 go to azhealth.gov/covid19.