No Coronavirus Yet in Comal County

Comal County Office of Public Health on Feb. 4 reported there have been no cases of the novel coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, in December.

However, for the week ending of Jan. 25, Comal County saw more than 516 cases of flu or flu-like illness, the highest yet during the 2019-20 flu season. By the week ending Feb. 1, the tally was up to 588 cases.

“We continue  to closely monitor the coronavirus situation, which is serious but thus far poses a low risk for Comal County residents,” said Cheryl Fraser, the county’s public health director. “At this moment, flu remains a much bigger threat, locally, and residents should continue to protect themselves and their loved ones by taking these simple steps and, of course, by getting vaccinated if they haven’t already.”

Her office still has a small number of flu vaccines available, and accepts Medicaid and Community First CHIP for children ages 18 and younger, and Blue Cross Blue Shield for all ages. The cost of a flu shot for someone without insurance coverage is $35.

Comal County residents or visitors who have traveled to China within the past 14 days and are now experiencing fever, coughing or shortness of breath are urged to contact their primary care provider for further instructions about receiving care. For general information, visit cdc.gov/coronavirus. To see realtime updates about the coronavirus, click here.

To avoid catching either flu or coronavirus, Fraser recommends:

• Frequent handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds;
• Use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available;
• Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth;
• Avoiding close contact with sick people;
• Staying inside and limiting contact with others when sick;
• Covering mouth and nose with elbow, if possible, when coughing or sneezing;
• Disinfecting commonly touched surfaces.