COVID-19 Update

Here is the latest on what you can do to protect yourself from COVID-19, what we are doing at Kaweah Health to keep patients safe, and other related activities in Tulare County. Get information on masks, testing, prevention and more.

At Kaweah Health

We continue to meet daily to work on infection prevention strategies and education. Amid a worldwide mask shortage, we are providing face masks to our patients who are sick, but not to others. This ensures that we have enough supply for our patients as evidence indicates that most people who are not sick do not need to wear them.

There has also been talk about N95 respirator masks, which are important to healthcare workers in a hospital setting, but not to the general community. While they prevent germs from entering the airways of healthy people, they must be fitted to the healthcare workers’ face to ensure a good seal and protection. When masks and N95 Respirators (masks) are used inappropriately, healthcare workers and patients are at risk for contracting and spreading disease.

Countywide

There remains no evidence of an infection of COVID-19 in Tulare County, according to the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency. Hospitals in the area continue to be vigilant with infection prevention and testing, when indicated. The county will soon begin testing locally this week; test results are typically available within 24-48. Testing criteria includes:

1. Travel to an affected geographic area within 14 days of symptom onset. As of 3-2-2020, they include China, Iran, Italy, Japan, and South Korea.
2. Fever with severe acute lower respiratory infection requiring hospitalization (such as pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome) and with no alternative diagnosis (such as influenza). These patients do not have to have known risk factors.

Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention continue to stress the following everyday actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, which include:

• Handwashing
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Covering coughs
• Cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces.
• And more.

We will continue to provide updates on COVID-19 activities as we know more.