By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Anyone who thinks times are tough now … just wait.
“While it feels like we’re in the middle of this, we’re actually just at the start,” Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Batey said Tuesday morning on a conference call with local mayors, township trustees and the county commissioners.
The peak of the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to hit at the end of April and beginning of May – meaning the efforts to flatten that peak have only just begun.
Ohio is likely to see “drastic increases in numbers over the next couple weeks,” Batey said.
The conference call allowed elected officials from throughout the county to ask questions of Batey and Wood County Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Klein – such as when will drive-through testing be available here.
Batey cautioned that information offered at national press conferences – that drive-through testing sites are opening across the country, with the results available in 24 hours – is not accurate.
“We haven’t gotten any guidance on that, so we’re doing it on our own,” Batey said.
Wood County Health Department is working with Wood County Hospital to set up a drive-through testing site, possibly in the next couple days, Batey said. But quick results may be harder to come by, with the average return time now at five days. And the availability is likely to be limited.
“It is not as widespread or available as you’re hearing,” Batey said of the availability of testing. “There’s a long time between what we want and where we’re at now.”
Ideally, the tests could be administered at a drive-through location rather than in a place like a school gymnasium.
“We want to segregate people as much as possible,” Batey said.
“If the system gets overwhelmed by people who just want to know if they are sick,” that won’t help efforts to quell the virus, he said.
Wood County Health Department has been planning for COVID-19 since early January. Hopes are that with the planning in place, paired with the seasonal change, the steep peak in cases can be avoided.
“We knew that it would be coming to Ohio,” he said. “We were really proactive on the front end.”
No cases have been identified in Wood County. Though it’s only a matter of time, Batey said.
Last week, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine took bold measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. Schools were closed, large events were canceled, restaurants and bars were shut down, and the primary election was postponed.
“Things have really escalated quickly,” Batey said. “This is something none of us thought we would see in our lifetime.”
Public health is still fighting the notion that steps being taken are extreme.
“Is this an over-reaction? At the time it may have seemed that way,” Batey said. But the experiences of China and Italy show otherwise.
“Our governor took a stance we were going to be proactive in Ohio,” Batey said. “We are working very diligently to protect our health care system.”
Pleas with the public to employ “social distancing” are intended to flatten the curve of the virus. But Batey cautioned it may result in the virus spreading out for a prolonged period of time.
“We want to slow down that spread. Ultimately, we are going to save lives,” he said.
Klein warned municipal and township leaders about the shortages of surgical and bio-masks for their fire and EMS crews.
“We’re going to be out of those very soon,” he said.
And hand-sanitizer is “virtually non-existent,” Klein added.
Klein recommended that local fire and EMS departments contact area retailers to see if they would be willing to set aside some hand-sanitizer for local first responders.
He advised that 14 days in quarantine for health care and first responders who test positive could shut down some medical services.
Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn said screening has been stepped up at the county jail. The sheriff’s office is awaiting an order of thermometers to test everyone entering the jail and the sheriff’s office. Anyone with a temperature over 100.4 degrees is quarantined.
Access to the sheriff’s dispatch area is greatly restricted, Wasylyshyn said.
“No one is allowed in – to minimize exposure to our dispatchers,” he said.
Right now, county offices are still open, but the public is asked to call rather than visit, if possible, according to Wood County Administrator Andrew Kalmar.
“If you do not have to come to the county buildings, please don’t,” he said.
Bowling Green Mayor Mike Aspacher asked if communities will be notified when a Wood County resident tests positive for the virus. Batey explained that the health department will only be able to give out information such as the person’s gender and age – but not area of residence. Though officials in the areas of residence will likely be notified.
“We probably have individuals in Wood County who have this virus. We just haven’t had a positive test yet,” Batey said.
Batey stressed that anyone feeling ill should first call their physician before showing up at an emergency room.
“If it’s not an emergency, we don’t want you to walk into the ER,” he said.
Pemberville Mayor Carol Bailey asked if communities will be given a heads-up if the state orders residents to shelter in place.
“The reality is, I don’t think there will be a heads-up,” Klein said, acknowledging that local officials have been getting updates from DeWine’s press conferences.
State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari, R-Perrysburg, stressed the need for citizens to get information from reliable sources. He suggested coronavirus.ohio.gov or the Ohio Department of Health call center at 833-427-5634.
For municipalities and townships that need to continue conducting business during the next few months, it was suggested that they seek out larger meeting rooms, so people can maintain more distance between others.
One official asked if outdoor activities are advisable right now. Batey said being outdoors is fine, as long as people continue to maintain distance from others. It would not be wise to let groups of children play together, he said.
Another question was asked about the mental health issues posed by COVID-19.
“Obviously, we’re recognizing there’s a lot of long-term trauma with this,” Batey said.
Batey told of his own children who are struggling to understand the impacts of the virus – including his 10-year-old son who had concerns that everyone he loves was going to die.
It’s important to remember that 80 to 90% of those infected with the virus will have no long-term adverse effects.
“This virus is very manageable for the large majority of individuals,” he said.
