Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday announced recommendations to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, including encouraging people to work from home and making it easier for schools to close.
By taking small steps now, the governor says we can slow the spread of the virus and avoid overwhelming the health care system with a wave of people who are sick.
Medical professionals urge people to take those precautions seriously.
Dr. Ramarao Yeleti is the chief physician executive of Community Health Network and says the state’s precautions help limit contact with other people. He says that kind of social distance is important even if you are not part of a high-risk group.
“So the reason why we are telling everyone to be cautious is, it’s highly contagious,” Yeleti says. "And even if it’s not going to change your life, it can impact somebody else simply because you unintentionally infected someone who is at the high-risk.”
Yeleti says people with lung disease, heart disease, diabetes and other health conditions should avoid going out in public.
“I would actually really, tell anybody if you're over 60 and have a health condition to really quarantine yourself,” Yeleti says.
He says if exposed to the virus and not part of a high-risk group, most healthy people’s immune systems will fight off the illness.
Contact Darian at dbenson@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @helloimdarian.
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This is a rapidly evolving story, and we are working hard to bring you the most up-to-date information. However, we recommend checking the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Indiana State Department of Health for the most recent numbers of COVID-19 cases.
