According to a combined statement from medical officers of the Unified Government, Johnson County, Kansas, and Jackson County, Missouri, residents should not visit the emergency rooms of hospitals for mild illness.
Anyone with mild symptoms of fever and cough should self-isolate at home and away from family members for at least seven days after symptoms started or for 72 hours after all symptoms are gone, according to the statement.
Anyone with more severe symptoms such as shortness of breath along with fever and cough, should call their health care provider, according to the statement. Individuals who have mild symptoms should not expect to be tested at this time, according to officials.
Testing is prioritized to the sickest patients, who are seriously ill and require admission to the hospital, the officials stated. Excessive testing of patients with minor symptoms could put too much strain on laboratories and hospital resources, according to the statement.
Since there is no treatment currently for COVID-19, unless critically ill requiring hospitalization, testing patients with mild illness is a lower priority, according to the statement.
Residents have a role in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, according to health officials. Because individuals can spread the disease before they develop symptoms, limiting the number of interactions with other people will result in a decrease in the transmission of the coronavirus, according to the statement.
The Unified Government has a COVID-19 website at Wycokck.org/COVID-19.
KDHE has a website for more information on COVID-19, at https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus.
The CDC also has a COVID-19 website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/.