March 24, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
Don’t be alarmed if you see the Tennessee National Guard at the DeKalb County Health Department this week.
The reason for the visit is to assist the local health department staff in expediting services including testing due to COVID-19.
“The DeKalb Health Department has put in a request along with several other rural county health departments to get some assistance from the state and the Tennessee National Guard. They are looking at sending a couple of medics to each of the rural health departments needing assistance so they can increase their testing times. They are working out the logistics of that right now so hopefully we will have some additional personnel to help increase testing times,” said DeKalb Emergency Management Agency Director Charlie Parker.
However Parker stressed that the request for extra help came before it was known that DeKalb County has a confirmed case of the Coronavirus.
“This request was made last week trying to ramp up more personnel. The Tennessee National Guard has medical personnel and they are trying to distribute them around to several of the local counties,” Parker continued.
Keep on mind that not everybody who wants a test will get one.
“There is a screening process. They first recommend that you first go to your primary physician and you will undergo a screening to determine if you meet the criteria. They do swabs and then send them off to a state or private lab for testing but they are not going to test everyone who comes through the door,” added Parker.
Meanwhile the Upper Cumberland Regional Health Office has created an information line for local residents and healthcare providers to call with questions or concerns related to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.
The information line is 931-646-7586 and is designed to provide callers with trusted information related to COVID-19. Residents with medical questions will be referred to their health care provider.
The information line will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
The Tennessee Department of Health has additional information available at http://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html. The CDC has updated information and guidance available online at http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019ncov/index.html.
Symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are a cough, a high temperature and shortness of breath.
Tennesseans are encouraged to take routine precautions used in guarding against respiratory viruses:
*Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
*Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
*Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
*Stay home if you are sick.
*Stay away from people who are sick.
*Flu shots are available for free at your local health department.
Visit the Tennessee Department of Health online at http://www.tn.gov/health