[Young Adult and Children's Services Discussion List] What Public Libraries Need To Know About the Coronavirus | Library Journal

Fri Feb 14 11:12:20 EST 2020

FYI

*******************
Danielle Margarida, Youth Services Coordinator
Office of Library & Information Services
Rhode Island Department of Administration
One Capitol Hill | Providence, RI  02908-5803
Danielle.Margarida at olis.ri.gov<mailto:Danielle.Margarida at olis.ri.gov>
401.574.9309 (voice) | 401.574.9320 (fax) | http://www.olis.ri.gov<http://www.olis.ri.gov/>

From: DiMichele, Donna (OLIS) <Donna.DiMichele at olis.ri.gov>

Hello,
I am writing to share some information that may assist you in responding to patron questions, as well as your own questions, about the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

  *   Library Journal article  What Public Libraries Need To Know About the Coronavirus<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__bit.ly_2HbHbG6&d=DwIFAg&c=tSLbvWYfvulPN3G_n48TUw&r=L_-4KCeL1NFTCgbBWGLXptRx_tYoPpZbpMOWv0nrAy0&m=2Oji1tUcqk18auIueZFyjMCh4j66xwLTnWFvv_aTJpA&s=0dqtD7uhx6GVjV0b4ci-5cCT50E3j_tH0IssiZ8psJ8&e= >.
  *   The Rhode Island Department of Health has online resources<https://health.ri.gov/diseases/respiratory/?parm=163> on 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
  *   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) webpage<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.cdc.gov_coronavirus_2019-2Dncov_index.html&d=DwIFAg&c=tSLbvWYfvulPN3G_n48TUw&r=L_-4KCeL1NFTCgbBWGLXptRx_tYoPpZbpMOWv0nrAy0&m=2Oji1tUcqk18auIueZFyjMCh4j66xwLTnWFvv_aTJpA&s=ZQnND1cjn5vtFAYeCZeLDyn2INZivYkzJi241cxQqVg&e= > for 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
  *   Medline Plus Coronavirus Infections webpage<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__medlineplus.gov_coronavirusinfections.html&d=DwIFAg&c=tSLbvWYfvulPN3G_n48TUw&r=L_-4KCeL1NFTCgbBWGLXptRx_tYoPpZbpMOWv0nrAy0&m=2Oji1tUcqk18auIueZFyjMCh4j66xwLTnWFvv_aTJpA&s=R-11jhGc-q4i63E0GcQPItbTCbF4-4zwdYq1xHbk31E&e= >.  Medline Plus is written at a 6-8th grade reading level so it may be suitable for most library patrons.

  *   On February 3, the RI Department of Health shared information about the coronavirus with state employees. Here are some excerpts that are still timely and that OLIS thinks you will find helpful for talking to patrons.

". . . an update on what is happening nationally and what we have been doing at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) to monitor for illness related to the outbreak of a new form of coronavirus first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province in central China. As you most likely know from the news media, federal officials at the CDC are monitoring the situation at the national level and are working very closely with staff in state health departments who are conducting surveillance and coordinating testing for possible travel-related cases. As of yesterday [February2], US-bound passengers who have traveled to China within 14 days of their arrival, will be routed to one of 11 designated US airports that have implemented enhanced screening procedures and the capacity to quarantine passengers, if needed.

. . . RIDOH, like all other health departments nationally, is following CDC's guidelines and has been coordinating closely with healthcare providers to ensure they understand the guidance and know how to evaluate any patients who have traveled to China and are ill. Healthcare providers have been instructed to evaluate patients for possible novel coronavirus infection if they have a fever and symptoms of lower respiratory illness (such as cough or difficulty breathing), and if they have traveled to China in the two weeks before symptom onset (or if they had close contact with a person who has laboratory-confirmed coronavirus). The people with confirmed cases of the illness are held in isolation when detected. While the disease has been shown to spread from person to person, what we know at this time is that it is not easily spread and you must be in close contact with someone (for example, family members and people living in the same household) to catch the virus. Having casual contact with someone who is ill is not a risk factor and the virus is NOT currently spreading widely in the community in the United States. Because of these factors, the CDC believes the risk right now for people in the United States to be low.

It is really important to understand that someone's nationality alone is not a risk factor for coronavirus. Unfortunately, fears of the virus are fueling anti-Chinese racism around the world and here at home in Rhode Island. RIDOH staff who are receiving calls from the public are hearing many stories of fear and discrimination. Of course, when people aren't informed about an emerging health issue, there is a tendency to feel afraid. RIDOH's leading priorities center around health equity. With that in mind, it is important to be well informed in order to share accurate information and dispel myths that can be hurtful to the Asian community.  RIDOH staff have received such questions as, "Should I stop eating Chinese food?", "Do I have to avoid visits to Chinatown in Boston?", and "My neighbor in my apartment complex is Chinese and recently travelled to China. Do I have to move out of my apartment?"  Given what experts know now, the answer to these questions is no.

RIDOH is being proactive in preparing to respond, should a case of the virus appear in Rhode Island. Last week, RIDOH stood up the Incident Command System to coordinate the preparedness steps being taken throughout the Department. It includes leadership from the State Health Laboratories, the Center for Acute Infectious Disease Epidemiology, the Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response, and the Center for Public Health Communication, among other areas of RIDOH.

As you know, the flu is circulating in Rhode Island right now. Because human coronaviruses are most commonly spread through respiratory droplets, we are reminding State employees to take the same measures that healthcare providers recommend annually to prevent the spread of the flu and other viruses:

*             Get your flu shot and encourage the people around you to do the same.

*             Wash your hands often throughout the day. Use warm water and soap. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand gel.

*             Cough or sneeze into your elbow. Flu is spread through coughing or sneezing on other people or into your hands. Cover your coughs and sneezes to prevent others from getting sick.

*             Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.

*             Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious foods.

*             Keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant.

For the most updated information about novel coronavirus, visit RIDOH's website at https://health.ri.gov/diseases/respiratory/?parm=163 . The webpage is updated on a regular basis.

Thank you for your help in disseminating accurate information and in taking personal steps to protect yourself and prevent illness  . . ."

Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH

Director of Health

________________________________
Donna Longo DiMichele
Library Program Manager/LSTA Coordinator
Office of Library and Information Services
Rhode Island Department of Administration
One Capitol Hill | Providence, RI 02908-5803
401-574-9303 (voice) | 401-574-9320 (fax) | http://www.olis.ri.gov

[veclogo-2018]

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