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Dr. Stites: Johnson County announced there is evidence of person-to-person spread inside the county. This is known as community spread. It means that our emphasis is shifting from containment to mitigation. Dr. Hawkinson take a moment and tell us a little bit about what mitigation means.

Dr. Hawkinson: Mitigation means we are trying to significantly reduce the spread in the community from one person to another, to minimize the number infected, and the number of people who need intensive care services for severe disease.

Dr. Stites: So, can you stay safe?

Dr. Hawkinson: Yes, the majority of these infections are mild and you will not need to receive medical care. Eighty-percent of people will have mild symptoms you can manage at home with typical home remedies, such as a fever reducer like Tylenol, fluids and rest. If you feel your symptoms are worsening, such as progressive shortness of breath or other breathing problems, please call your primary care provider or 911, if you feel like it's an emergency.

Please do not show up at your doctor's office, the hospital, or even the emergency room as you could potentially infect others in the waiting room. Call ahead so you can be efficiently greeted and moved to the proper area for evaluation and treatment.

Dr. Stites: So, if 80% of people stay home and only 20% of people come into the hospital, what percentage of folks need critical care?

Dr. Hawkinson: It's even a smaller percentage than 20% needing critical care.

The highest risk factors for developing severe and critical disease include older age above 50, and even more, those above 70 years old. Also, other significant risk factors include heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, and other immune compromising conditions.

This is why we need to mitigate the spread as much as possible and social distancing is vital to that.

Dr. Stites: Like many things in life that are worth doing, social distancing takes commitment. And the commitment each of you need to make is to stay home. Stay home and stay safe. Stay isolated in your home and do not gather in groups of more than ten. And honestly, smaller is even better.

The best thing you can do is wash your hands. Don't touch your face. Keep your distance. Stay home.

If you feel like you have a fever, a shortness of breath, or cough, call your doctor. All hospitals are able to care successfully for patients with COVID-19 and together, with each of you taking care of your family and yourselves, with all the health professionals at all our hospitals taking care of you, we can beat coronavirus.

This is important. The disease cannot spread if you're not around people who have it. Stay home. Stay Safe.