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PARKERSBURG -- An information hotline about the COVID-19 coronavirus was created on Monday by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services.
Operators are available around the clock toll-free at 1-800-887-4304 to provide information about COVID-19, the risk to the public and the state's response, the department said on Monday in a press release. The hotline was created through a long-standing emergency preparedness partnership between the Bureau for Public Health and the West Virginia Poison Center.
"We recognize that as the number of national cases grows, the risk of a confirmed case and community spread in West Virginia becomes more likely," Dr. Cathy Slemp, state health officer and commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health, said. "Establishing the hotline provides access to experienced and knowledgeable staff who can answer questions West Virginia residents and providers may have. It can also link them with guidance and tools they can use to reduce the effects of COVID-19 on themselves, their families, and their communities."
The department this weekend announced testing for the COVID-19 coronavirus can now be performed in-state by the laboratory at the Bureau for Public Health's.
No cases of COVID-19 as yet are confirmed in West Virginia.
"The West Virginia Poison Center, with the support of its host institution West Virginia University, has been planning with the bureau for the activation of a public health hotline for many years. These plans will now be put into place," said Dr. Elizabeth Scharman, director of the Poison Center and a professor at the WVU School of Pharmacy.
Tests on individuals considered at significant risk were done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Saturday, the state has arranged to test five residents for COVID-19, of which two have already come back negative and three are pending.
"Our team at the state public health lab has worked overtime to enable testing right here in West Virginia," Slemp said. "As the disease continues to spread domestically, it is essential that we have the necessary resources to serve the public health response and support our communities."
Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough or shortness of breath.
Someone who has significant reason to believe they were exposed to COVID-19 in the two weeks before illness onset, typically a history of travel from or living in a geographic area with widespread community transmission or contact with a known or suspected case, should call their health care provider, emergency room or local health department before seeking care. Contacting the medical provider in advance will make sure that individuals can get the care they need without putting others at risk.
"We anticipate that commercial testing will be available in West Virginia very soon, as well," Slemp said.
The department is working with commercial labs to assure lab result reporting to Bureau for Public Health, she said.
"This is critical for understanding disease surveillance data across the state and for facilitating appropriate public health action as cases are identified in West Virginia," Slemp said.
Up-to-date information about the virus is available at coronavirus.wv.gov or www.cdc.gov/COVID19.
On Friday, the West Virginia Department of Education started an online resource for families, students and teachers regarding the coronavirus. The Education Department is working with the governor, the Department of Health and Human Resources and other agencies.
"We are constantly monitoring the situation and providing updates to our counties as new information becomes available," state Schools Superintendent W. Clayton Burch said.
The site, wvde.us/covid19, will provide up-to-date information about the virus. Resources, including information from the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of Health and Human Resources and other agencies, also can be found there.
"On behalf of the Board of Education I am grateful to Gov. Justice, Superintendent Burch and the entire leadership team for their guidance at this time," board of education President Dave Perry said.
Circumstances can change things, but there are no plans to cancel trainings or events sponsored by the Department of Education, the department said. Counties have not canceled school-based or athletic activities because of the virus.