Southern Nevada health officials on alert for potential coronavirus outbreak

By Kelcie Grega

Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 | 2 a.m.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that a public forum to address questions and concerns about the coronavirus has been rescheduled for 5:30 p.m. April 11.

Southern Nevada Health District officials on Friday met with first responders, health care workers and community partners to discuss how they will respond to calls from residents who might be infected with coronavirus.

They were instructed to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for treatment, such as wearing goggles or a face shield while caring for someone suspected of being infected. There have been no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Nevada, but Las Vegas health officials and leaders are paying close attention to the disease that has already spread to at least 60 countries, including the United States, which has 63 confirmed cases as of Friday.

Spokeswoman Stephanie Bethel said they plan on implementing the same protocol as they did during the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009, by communicating protocol with health partners to ensure everyone is up to date on the correct information. More important, they are stressing to residents that a plan is in place.

“We are providing updated CDC guidance to health care providers and hospitals about what they should be looking for in their patients,” Bethel said.

The respiratory virus originated late last year in China and has killed at least 2,462 people worldwide. In the United States, there is growing panic among residents. All three people tested for coronavirus in Nevada were negative.

Vit Kraushaar, a medical investigator with the Southern Nevada Health District, said earlier this week that while he understands the fear surrounding the virus, it’s nothing health officials in Las Vegas can’t handle. Gov. Steve Sisolak had a similar message during a news conference with leaders on Friday.

“I think there’s a lot of fear now because this is a new virus and it feels like we’ve never dealt with anything like it before, but we deal with fairly similar situations every year with influenza,” Kraushaar said.

Cities in Hubei Province, China, where the virus is believed to have originated, have been on lockdown since January. Kraushaar doesn’t see a similar scenario happening in Vegas.

“I never want to say never, but I think it’s very unlikely that something like shutting down the Strip would happen,” he said.

Dr. Shadaba Asad, the UMC medical director of infectious disease, said the hospital is “fully prepared” to respond to any potential outbreak in the community, saying that on top of having constant communication with the health district and the CDC, the hospital is also staffed with critical care specialists, infection control professionals, emergency preparedness professionals, and infectious disease specialists who are fully trained and prepared to deal with this emerging infectious disease.

“With cases of coronavirus increasing across the world, we recognize that community members have concerns and fears,” she said. “At UMC, we believe that the antidote to this fear is knowledge and preparedness. We feel confident that UMC is fully prepared to deal with this infection, if and when it affects our community.”

What makes the virus complicated to identify on surface level is that its symptoms are similar to the flu, as they are both contagious viruses that cause respiratory illness. Coronavirus can often range in severity, said Dr. Michael Gardner, vice dean of clinical affairs at UNLV School of Medicine. Fatality rates also vary, depending on age, gender and medical history.

The medical journal JAMA released a study earlier this week analyzing more than 72,000 coronavirus cases in mainland China and found that while no death occurred on any patients under 9 years old, those ages 70 to 79 had an 8% fatality rate, compared to the virus' overall 2% fatality rate. Those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other respiratory problems also had a higher fatality rate.

One study in China — which was not peer-reviewed by U.S. scientists — found that men had a higher fatality rate (2.8%) than women (1.7%).

Gardner said medical staff are at the highest risk of contracting the virus, which is why he urges against the practice of citizens stockpiling face masks, which could ultimately lead to a global shortage.

“If you don’t have symptoms and you’re not working in a situation where you’re in a health care environment or where people who are sick, it becomes more fashion statement than preventive measure,” he said. “It doesn’t have any positive public health benefits.”

While there is no vaccine available for the virus, the CDC recommends everyday preventive measures like avoiding contact with people who are sick, avoiding touching eyes and mouths, staying home when sick, covering mouths when coughing or sneezing and washing hands often with soap and water.

“These are simple steps, but they’re also the best way every Nevadan can take precautions,” Sisolak said.

Community members are hosting a public forum to address questions and concerns at 5:30 p.m. April 11 during the inaugural Clark County Town Hall at the Durango Hills YMCA, 3521 N. Durango Hills Drive. The event was originally set for March 6, but was rescheduled because of requests from speakers and the large number of ticket requests, organizers said.

The event is free to the public and will host a variety of health care professionals and community stakeholders to speak on the virus’ potential impact on the community. The event is not affiliated with the Clark County government or staff.

“There has been a lot of misinformation out there,” event sponsor Andre Haynes said. “Unfortunately, it reminds me of years ago when everyone was dying from the flu, every store was selling some sort of remedy or stuff that didn’t work. I don’t want to see that happen again.”

Register for the event here.