PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB)–Governor Ron DeSantis declared a public health emergency late Sunday night after two patients tested presumptively positive for the coronavirus in Florida. One patient is a resident of Manatee County and another residing in Hillsborough County.
However, local doctors and state officials say there is no need to worry just yet for communities along the Panhandle.
“Getting the coronavirus is exquisitely unlikely,” said Doctor George Helmrich, the Chief Medical Officer at Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center.
As of March 2nd, there have been 43 total cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. with 2 confirmed in Florida.
“This was really not a surprise, but we are taking the precautions that we need to and we are doing all the things we need to do if it was to be on a larger scale,” said Dr. George Helmrich.
With no confirmed cases near the Panhandle, Dr. Helmrich says there’s no need to panic. He says residents should treat the coronavirus like influenza.
“You should be washing your hands regularly after you go to the bathroom, after you sneeze, try to sneeze into a tissue and dispose of it,” said Dr. George Helmrich.
Dr. Helmrich also recommends avoiding sick people and disinfecting surfaces.
As long as you’re in good health, officials say you should be fine.
“It’s gonna target the elderly, those that are already sickly, those are gonna be the ones that are most vulnerable to it,” said Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.
Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent coronavirus.
“The predictions right now are that a vaccine could be available in 18 months but what we’re hoping is that this is very much like an influenza virus so it’ll wane as the weather gets warmer,” said Dr. George Helmrich.
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