No Coronavirus Cases Reported Yet in Pettis County, Missouri

The Pettis County Health center, 911 East 16th, issued the following press release on Monday:

At this time, there are no cases of Coronavirus or COVID 19 in Pettis County or Missouri. There are no individuals under monitoring in Pettis County. The Pettis County Health Center is monitoring the situation closely and is in close contact with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Information on the situation is changing daily. This uncertainty can cause challenges in knowing what to do to protect yourself and your family. Masks are not helpful to protect well people in the community. Masks are best used for people who are coughing or have a low immune system. There is no need to worry about finding masks. The best thing to do right now is practice good handwashing, stay home if you are sick, cover your cough and plan how you would handle staying home for a period of time.

Some suggestions to think about how to prepare include:

1. Think about what you would need to stay home for 14 days. Do you have the food, medicine, diapers, pet food, toilet paper and other supplies you would need? If not, do you have someone who would be able to go to the store for you and drop off the supplies at your front door?
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2. Do you know a friend, family member or neighbor who may have difficulty having extra food available if that person can not get to the store? Consider adding extra non-perishable food to your shopping to help another. Be willing to accept help gracefully.
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3. How can you give permission for someone to pick up your medicine, pay your bills or do the other tasks that you have to take care of on a regular basis? Different businesses have different rules. If you have something that would need to be picked up, check with that business to see what type of permission they would require.
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4. What arrangements do you have if school or child care/adult care is closed to take care of family members? This may be the same arrangements you have for a snow day. Try to have a second plan if your first person is not available.
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5. Have you spoken to your employer about work issues? What provisions are available for working from home? If quarantined, how would your employer handle that?
The symptoms of Coronavirus are much like influenza – fever, cough, shortness of breath. Some people have had sore throat, muscle aches or GI upset. If you believe you may be at risk for having Coronavirus because of where you have travelled in the past 14 days or if you have been around someone who is ill and has travelled outside the country in the past 14 days, or you have a fever and a dry cough, please call your doctor or the emergency room before going to seek medical care.

Updates regarding the spread of the Coronavirus are available at www.cdc.gov and will be posted on the Pettis County Health Center website at www.pettiscountyhealthcenter.com and on the Facebook page. Information will also be posted on the City of Sedalia and Pettis County websites.

The Pettis County Health Center is working closely with a variety of organizations and agencies in the county to prepare if the virus arrives in Pettis County. We will share with the community the most current information available and strive to answer questions.