Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 3-17-20

CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
Myth vs. Fact: Tampa Bay Doctor Sets Record Straight On Coronavirus
Hillsborough County Schools Plan To Help Feed Students During Coronavirus 2 Week Break
The decision from the Florida Department of Educa- tion to close public schools for two weeks to help contain coronavirus created a new con- cern for families not just in Tampa Bay but statewide.
“I literally within the last 24 hours have gotten calls and emails from teachers I haven’t even talked to,” said the founder of “Food Packs 4 Kids” Megan McLemore.
McLemore told reporters the teachers are worried about feeding students, especially the ones from food-insecure fami- lies, when public schools do not reopen after this week’s spring break.
“They survive off of their free breakfast and free lunches and all of a sudden they’re not gonna have it,” she said. “What’s going to happen to them?”
Reporters first met this
mom in January at her Temple Terrace home where she puts together bags of food to be dropped off and distributed by social workers in schools on Fridays.
“The kids love to pick up their food bags Friday,” said Amanda Leonard, a guid- ance counselor at Lewis Ele- mentary School in Temple Terrace.
Leonard said nearly 20 bags are dropped off for under- privileged students at her school.
“Our district has always been good about providing meals over the summer to stu- dents who are food insecure,” she added.
Hillsborough Schools tweeted Saturday they “are planning to activate (their) feeding program on March 23 when students would normally be returning to school.”
CDC Says To Cancel Weddings, Other Events With Over 50 Guests
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention re- leased a statement saying they recommend that all events con- sisting of 50 or more people be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks.
The CDC says large events and mass gatherings can con- tribute to the spread of COVID- 19 via travelers who attend these events and introduce the virus to new communities.
These events may include
festivals, parades, concerns, sporting events and weddings. The CDC says any size
event should only be carried out with adherence to guide- lines protecting vulnerable populations and social distanc- ing.
The center also said this reccomendation does not apply to the operation of organiza- tions such as schools, higher learning institutions, or busi- nesses.
149 people in Florida tested “presumptively posi- tive” for the coronavirus as of Monday, 4 people have died. There were still 442 people being monitored for COVID-19 and 514 test re- sults pending.
A Tampa dermatologist tells reporters that while there is a lot of information being circulated about COVID-19, there are also sev- eral myths about the virus.
MYTH: Wearing a face mask will protect you from the coron- avirus
Fact: U.S. Surgeon Gen- eral Jerome Adams took to Twitter in late February, urg- ing people to stop buying face masks saying “seriously peo- ple – STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effec- tive in preventing general
public from catching #Coro- navirus.”
“The virus is small enough to where it can es- cape throughout the mask. It can go through the tissue or fabric that the mask is made of,” said Forman. “If you believe you have the virus or any virus for that matter, stay home and not expose other people to your sickness.”
MYTH: Ordering products from China will make you sick
Fact: According to the CDC, the coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and linked to a live animal mar- ket.
The virus is now known to be spread from person-to- person.
“Dry goods or goods that are delivered via Amazon or
UPS or U.S. Postal Service is not a route to get affected,” said Forman.
MYTH: The coron- avirus is worse than the
flu
Fact: According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the flu has more of an impact on Americans than COVID-19.
The CDC estimates from Oct. 1, 2019, through Feb. 22, 2020, there have been 18,000 – 46,000 flu-related deaths.
“The most important thing you can do is not over- react to what is going on right now. The basic step is to keep yourself healthy: go see your primary care doctor once a year. Be up to date with your flu shot or any other types of vaccinations. Please, keep yourself healthy,” said For- man.
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2020