If you live in Ohio or are keeping up with national news, you likely know that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued a series of orders last week to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) throughout the state. Last Monday, DeWine declared a state of emergency to protect Ohioans from COVID-19 and to allow state departments and agencies to better coordinate their response to the virus. In a press conference on Wednesday, March 11, DeWine was joined by Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton to provide an update on the impact of the coronavirus in Ohio.
In her update, Acton used a chart to illustrate and explain how the precautions Ohio is taking to slow the spread of COVID-19 are intended to flatten the pandemic’s bell curve. By flattening this curve, the COVID-19 outbreak in Ohio will remain below a certain threshold, a threshold that represents the capacity of the healthcare system within the state of Ohio and the country at large. Below this threshold, the outbreak will remain manageable. Above this threshold, the healthcare system becomes overwhelmed.
Although the governor’s directives are aggressive, and while they are certainly creating disruptions in the day to day lives of Ohioans, their purpose is to ultimately keep Ohioans safe and to not overwhelm the healthcare system. The governor’s orders may be difficult to follow, but keeping up with and abiding by state and national guidance to prevent the spread of disease is critical at this time. Specific measures the CDC recommends to prevent the spread of COVID-19 include:
- avoiding large gatherings
- practicing social distancing
- working remotely to the extent possible
- washing hands frequently
- covering coughs and sneezes
- staying home when sick
For additional resources, checklists and more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19 visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
Written by: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Franklin County
Reviewed by: Jami Dellifield, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Hardin County
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Office of the Governor in the State of Ohio https://governor.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/governor/media/news-and-media/news-releases
Ohio Department of Health https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/home/
Live Healthy Live Well 
Thank you. I currently live in the Northeast, but I’m a Dublin native with grown kids who live in Centerville, so I applaud the measures being taken so we can all get back to normal lives and routines … and still be around to once again gather and say, “Go Bucks”. O … H …
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