What's being done in Northern Colorado to prepare for coronavirus

Phone lines at the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment have been lighting up in recent days.

Concerns about the coronavirus known as COVID-19 coming out of China and spreading quickly around the world have prompted some of the calls, department spokesperson Katie O’Donnell said.

The disease has not been detected in Colorado, and the risk to Larimer County residents remains low.

Nevertheless, the health department is updating its plan for dealing with a pandemic while following the lead of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state health department.

“The Larimer County Health Department has pandemic response plans ready to go, tools and protocols in place to monitor travelers and other individuals who may be exposed, and the infection control expertise we need to respond to COVID-19,” said Tom Gonzales, public health director, in a news release.

The county health department is coordinating with other public entities as they prepare for the potential arrival of the coronavirus, O’Donnell said.

EARLY EFFORTS: Larimer County, CSU monitor spread of coronavirus

It’s still cold and flu season, so the department is hearing from local schools and residents about how to deal with those diseases.

Learn more about COVID-19 or sign up to receive emailed information from the Larimer County health department at https://www.larimer.org/health/communicable-disease/coronavirus-covid-19.

Read on to learn what schools, universities and hospitals are doing to prepare for the spread of coronavirus.

Hospitals

UCHealth and Banner health systems have had protocols in place for potential virus outbreaks for years, most notably the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 and the most recent Ebola outbreak in 2014-16.

First, patients would be tested for the flu. If that were negative or if there were concerns about a travel-related illness, the patient would be tested for COVID-19. If the test were positive but symptoms did not require hospitalization, the patient would be discharged with instructions for quarantine, said Dr. Michelle Barron, medical director of infection control and prevention at UCHealth.

Patients too sick to go home would be admitted and isolated in a specific area of the hospital, she said.

The strategic thinking is the same as it was for Ebola and H1N1. Once patients are in the system and have the disease, "we need to decide where to put them, how to manage them to give them the best care and make sure everyone else who doesn't have it gets what they need as well," Barron said.

Banner said in a statement that outbreaks such as COVID-19 and influenza are best controlled by practicing good infection prevention principles.

"We safely care for patients with respiratory viruses every day," the statement read. "Our routine processes of putting masks on patients who have fever and respiratory illness, asking about travel history, and following policies on caring for patients with these types of infections not only help us provide safe patient care but also a safe work environment."

Banner is following CDC guidelines for preparedness including:

Creating a team to ensure consistent approach to preparedness across Banner entities.

Having hospital infection prevention leaders review local response plans related to infectious diseases with their local leaders. The goal is to ensure everyone is aware of their responsibilities in the event it sees an influx of patients.

Carefully monitoring supply inventories for all essential supplies including personal protective equipment and medications and working with vendors and public health agencies.

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Poudre School District

Poudre School District is in the process of developing a coronavirus response plan. It is collaborating with district staff representing health, facilities, safety/security and more, PSD director of communications Madeline Noblett told the Coloradoan.

"PSD has a robust crisis management plan and team that would be activated in case of any emergency situation," she said. "PSD will continue its long-standing practices of disinfecting high-touch surfaces and other areas within PSD schools and facilities."

Noblett said the district would follow the health department's lead on any quarantines or closures in the event of an outbreak.

"Our focus has been on how to ensure the safety of students and staff, and how education can continue if any of those situations were to arise."

Noblett also noted parents and guardians can help by implementing the same practices as you would during flu season.

Colorado State University

Colorado State University has had protocols in place to protect against this new coronavirus strain since Jan. 14, according to the university website. The university announced March 2 that they have convened a task force to "ensure that we are ready for whatever local, national and international impacts the coronavirus has in the months ahead."

“Colorado State University is closely monitoring and following the coronavirus guidance as outlined by public health experts. We are in daily communication with our Larimer County and Colorado Departments of Health and Environment,” the university said in an online post Feb 19. “We are actively tracking and following federal guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

No CSU students, staff or faculty are known to the have the virus.

RESEARCH: How CSU is involved in global fight against coronavirus

The CSU-hosted Semester at Sea program altered its course to skip a stop in China earlier this year, university officials previously told the Coloradoan.

In a message from CSU President Joyce McConnell March 2 she said the university is monitoring conditions in the many countries students are studying abroad in and where CSU staff are working and researching.

McConnell's statement also addressed potential on-campus impacts.

"We are planning proactively for scenarios that might impact our students’ ability to attend classes, our faculty’s ability to teach or conduct research, or the ability of our staff to come to work," her statement read.

CSU is also working to support students who may have family or friends in different parts of the world where the outbreak is more severe, McConnell's statement said. She also addressed reports of racist and xenophobic incidents on campus since the outbreak began.

"We have been hearing from some of our students, faculty and staff who identify as Asian and Asian American that they have been subjected to hateful and xenophobic treatment these last few weeks," he statement said. "This treatment — whether via words or actions, publicly or privately expressed — is racist and wrong."

If someone wishes to report a bias incident, they can do so online at https://supportandsafety.colostate.edu/incidents-of-bias/, McConnell said. Resources can also be found through Asian Pacific American Cultural Center or the Office of International Programs.

CSU also reminded the university community that, if you have not been in east Asia or southeast Asia since early January, your risk of having the virus is very low. If you’re experiencing symptoms like fever, cough or shortness of breath, remember it is also cold and flu season, the university said in an email to the campus community.

“Please do not assume that someone who is sick or wearing a mask has coronavirus,” the university email said. “Individuals may choose to wear a mask for a variety of reasons, and may wear one even when they do not have a respiratory illness.”

Students who have returned from China in the last two weeks are asked to call the CSU Health Network at 970-491-7121. Employees should contact the Larimer County Health Department.

Larimer County Jail

The Larimer County Jail has no plans to restrict outside visitation because all visits are conducted via video, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office spokesman David Moore said. People can visit jail inmates over the internet from home or come to the jail to use a kiosk in the jail’s annex, where there’s no physical contact between inmates and visitors.

LCSO is following procedures recommended by the county health department to prevent the spread of coronavirus at the jail, Moore said. That includes encouraging deputies to wash their hands frequently, avoid close contact with anyone displaying cold- or flu-like symptoms, and stay home if they’re sick. Deputies have sick days and can take medical leave if they need to self-quarantine for the 14-day incubation period.

If an inmate shows symptoms of coronavirus, LCSO would refer to the county health department to determine next steps, Moore said. The jail protocols in place to handle any potential disruption among inmates, he said, but he declined to elaborate on those measures to preserve the safety of the facility.

About 520 people are in custody at the jail as of Tuesday morning. The facility has a capacity of 617 inmates.

Homeless shelters

Fort Collins homeless shelters are coordinating with the county to plan for the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak, said Seth Forwood, senior director of Fort Collins Rescue Mission. As of Tuesday, he didn’t have a timeline for when plans would be finalized. In the meantime, the Rescue Mission is continuing its normal daily sanitation and cleaning procedures. They use special sanitizing equipment and heat chambers to clean the facility, which houses an average of 90 people a night.

Forwood said the Mission will evaluate people who are displaying coronavirus symptoms on a case-by-case basis, balancing public health concerns with residents’ need for a safe place to sleep. The shelter works with hospitals and affordable health clinics like Salud Family Health Center to help people who need medical attention.

The Mission has little space for separating people who are sick from the rest of the shelter population, but they’re working on identifying an area where people could sleep separately, Forwood said.

Guests at the Fort Collins Rescue Mission sleep and eat in close quarters, so staff will be monitoring the shelter population and encouraging them to use best health practices.

Thompson School District

Like PSD, Thompson School District is also working with the county health department to develop necessary protocols for a potential virus outbreak.

The district is working with local and state entities to develop training opportunities for staff members to assist in any potential response. They are also developing plans for any response that would require closing a school, multiple schools or any buildings, including how they might continue to educate students if that happens.

The district also shared their pandemic plan with parents and families of students in an email Feb. 27. The plan includes things the district is prepared to do before, during and after a pandemic to keep the school's students and staff as safe as possible.

University of Northern Colorado

In an email to the campus community Jan. 30, the university said it had no reason to believe anyone on campus was infected.

In that email, the university also said it has a preparedness plan in place and was already implementing that plan but did not specify what that plan entailed.

Anyone from the community who has traveled through a known infected area in the past 14 days and has any of the symptoms of the virus — fever, cough or shortness of breath — is urged to contact a doctor.

University officials say they are also providing emotional support to students with family or friends living in other countries through the UNC Counseling Center at 970-351-2496 or Student Outreach and Support at 970-351-2796.

City government

Fort Collins' Office of Emergency Preparedness and Security is working with state and county agencies to track coronavirus developments, city spokeswoman Amanda King said. Fort Collins doesn't have a public health department.

While state and county public health agencies are leading preparation efforts, the city is "actively assessing what risks may occur in the future," King said. They're focusing on community and employee safety and discussing preparations for potential impacts on city operations.

The Coloradoan will continue to update this list as more information becomes available.

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