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APRIL 2020 FREE
COpINg WITh COVID-19 How to stay safe and be smart CDC, Department of Health offer tips and best practices By NicOLe ViViANO
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has come with an abundance of information since the pandemic has taken hold in New Jersey. The respiratory illness has prompted social distancing protocols in the state, cancelations of large gatherings and events and has made schools and colleges move all learning to remote access. The Lawrence Township municipal building has closed until further notice, and the Lawrence Township School District closed on March 16 and will moved to a virtual/remote learning environment through at least April 13. While many sources have published helpful and necessary information, some of it may seem overly comprehensive and divided among different platforms. Information from the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, New Jersey Department of Health and Mercer County government has been consolidated for ease of access. It is important to note that new information regarding COVID-19 is being shared frequently and rapidly by these organizations. Paying attention to updated information is crucial to stay abreast of the situation. See CORONAVIRUS, Page 5
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? These symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to COVID-19: If emergency warning signs develop, get medical attention immediately
Fever
Cough
Shortness of breath
· Difficulty breathing · Persistent pain or pressure in the chest · New confusion or inability to arouse · Bluish lips or face
HOW DOES IT SPREAD? The COVID-19 virus is mainly spread person-to-person by being in close contact with someone (within 6 ft.) or through respiratory droplets from an infected person sneezing or coughing. Another way COVID-19 can spread is by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching the mouth, nose or eyes. HOW CAN I REDUCE MY RISK?
Wash hands ofte n
Stay home
Limit personal contact (6 ft.)
Stay away from sick people
Clean & disinfect frequently touched surfaces
Don’t touch eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
Practice social distancing
Emergency medical corps seeks volunteers People with all levels of experience needed to help out in times of crisis By MicheLe ALPeriN
Mercer County needs you. Faced with a growing number of COVID-19 cases, the county has put out a call for volunteers to join the Mercer County Medical Reserve Corps, a group that has been created to assist during times of crisis. In the wake of September 11, the U.S. Office of the Surgeon General, established the MRC as a demonstration project, whose role is to identify,
train and track volunteers who can strengthen local public health and serve if another human-made or natural disaster occurred. MRC volunteer and East Windsor resident Al Grupper explains the government’s motivation: “When the World Trade Center fell, they had volunteers show up, but there was no management or structure. MRC has a chain of command and a mission.” “We don’t self-mobilize; we are called out for an emergency,” Grupper says. “If Stephanie [Mendelsohn, public health nurse and coordinator of the MRC] says ‘Come,’ we have to make sure our family is safe first, then we can go.” Mendelsohn, a Pennington resi-
Ask The Doctor brought to you by
See our column on page 21
dent, has been running from meeting to meeting and teleconference to teleconference, as the coronavirus continues to spread in the county. She says the MRC has already surveyed its volunteers to see if they would be available to staff a county hotline (to help handle the multitude of calls arriving at each municipality’s health department) and to do phone surveillance to check whether people who had been in contact with individuals with COVID-19 have any fever. “This is just the beginning stages; we want as many volunteers as we can get,” Mendelsohn says. “We have 359 volunteers, but with something like this coronavirus, not everyone is See VOLUNTEERS, Page 8
Lawrence Hamnett Soccer Association
Spring Soccer Programs – Ages 3+ See ad on page 17
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