Bryan Health officials said Friday that they have tested a couple of people for potential coronavirus infections, but the tests were negative.
Lisa Vail, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer, said the tests were done based on patient symptoms and their travel history.
Vail said all people who come to the emergency department at either Bryan East or West Campus hospitals with symptoms of respiratory infection are asked about their travel history and whether they have been in contact with people who have traveled.
That's the best way to determine if someone is at risk of infection with COVID-19, a new strain of coronavirus, because its primary symptoms, fever and lower respiratory tract congestion, are similar to those of other respiratory diseases, said Tobias Watson, Bryan's emergency preparedness coordinator.
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Vail and Watson briefed the media Friday on the plan Bryan has in place and the steps it's taken to prepare for a local case of the newly diagnosed respiratory illness that has infected tens of thousands of people abroad and has killed close to 3,000.
The U.S. has seen a few dozen cases, but all but one so far are in people who got the disease somewhere else. As of Friday, there was a suspected case in California of a woman with no known travel history or contact with an infected person.
CHI St. Elizabeth staff declined to comment on whether the Lincoln hospital has tested any patients for coronavirus but said in a statement that it "is closely monitoring all developments with the coronavirus."
"We are in contact with local and state authorities, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and our staff is following the latest guidance from these public health agencies," the statement said.
Patricia Lopez, interim director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, said the coronavirus is a very real public health threat, but local residents have no reason to panic.
In preparing for a potential COVID-19 outbreak, Lopez said families should determine a room in their home where an ill person could stay separate from others, and individuals should have a two-week supply of essentials, such as food, water and medication.
If an outbreak were to occur, Bryan said it has plans in place to deal with it.
Watson said hospital officials have been meeting regularly with county and regional health officials to discuss pandemic preparedness plans.
"The goal is to get ahead of this," he said.
Watson said that if a suspected COVID-19 case turned up at Bryan, the focus would be on identifying and confirming it, isolating the patient and informing the appropriate authorities.
Vail said whether the patient would stay in Lincoln to be treated or be sent to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha would depend on the person's symptoms.
About 80% of COVID-19 cases either involve no or mild symptoms, which is one of the reasons it has been spreading so fast.
Vail pointed out that people locally are still much more at risk for getting influenza than they are COVID-19. The CDC estimates there have been 32 million cases of the flu and about 18,000 flu-related deaths in the U.S. this season.
While use of face masks is not recommended, the local Health Department says people can take the following steps to reduce the spread of any virus:
* Avoid close contact with sick people.
* While sick, stay home and limit contact with others.
* Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze.
* Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
* Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs.
* Wash your hands often with soap and water.