By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Tiny germs that create big health issues are the target of the Wood County Health Department.
To slow the spread of the next infectious disease like COVID, the health department is using a chunk of an $8 million grant to help communities fight the latest rounds of COVID and other diseases.
Health department officials are meeting with municipal and township officials throughout Wood County to see if they want help. They are also offering assistance for schools, libraries, nursing homes and community buildings.
Earlier this year, the health department offered public buildings water bottle filling stations for their facilities. So far, 44 water stations have been installed.
The goal is to keep germs from spreading by reducing the need to touch shared items by hand, making hand washing more convenient, filtering contaminants from the air, and educating people of the risks.
In its three-plus years, the COVID pandemic killed at least 403 residents of Wood County. A total of 39,101 cases were reported, and 1,225 people were hospitalized in the county. At the height of the pandemic, Mercy Hospital reported 96% of the people dying from COVID were unvaccinated.
This region is seeing a resurgence of COVID, but with few hospitalizations.
“There’s definitely an uptick in cases,” said Pat Snyder, who is in charge of health promotion and preparedness at the Wood County Health Department. “It’s hard to know how much is out there because a lot of people go untested” and reporting is not required.
The priority areas for the prevention measures are high traffic areas or places with vulnerable populations, or those with financial barriers to prevention efforts.
“We are very mindful that we are using this money wisely to provide long-term impact to the community,” Snyder said.
In order to prevent the spread of COVID and other communicable diseases, earlier this year the Wood County Health Department was awarded an $8 million COVID Enhanced Operations grant – the most granted to any public health agency in Ohio. The health department is now offering communities several items that can help prevent the spread of infectious diseases:
- Water bottle fill stations.
- UV disinfection systems for local hospitals and one for the health department to lend to places experiencing an outbreak, respiratory protection system for Wood County Hospital, and floor cleaning equipment for schools and similar public buildings.
- Filters and other air purifying supplies, cleaning and disinfection supplies and other infection prevention tools.
- Technology supplies for accessible communication and personal health monitoring supplies for members of the community with disabilities or language barriers.
- Supplies to support mobile, remote work or schooling – so people who have symptoms can stay home and continue to work and learn.
- Touchless activation supplies.
- Hand sanitizing supplies.
- Educational booklets and bags for infectious disease education and management kits.
- Portable hand washing stations for use by environmental health staff while in the field.
- Books to update the Wood County District Public Library’s collection of books for all ages related to health and test preparation materials for medical professions, including in languages other than English when available.
- Hygiene kits with soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste for infection control.
- Variety of supplies to equip the mobile health center.
“We are very fortunate to bring these resources to Wood County,” Snyder said. “We want to make sure we have as many resources out there to reduce infectious diseases.”
