STATE WIDE–Indiana may have to go the full eight weeks recommended by the CDC for restaurant dining rooms and bars staying closed, says Dr. Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Health Dept., and infectious disease specialist.
“When you look and see what happened with China, it took about three months for them to finally start seeing a decline in their cases,” said Caine, on Tony Katz and the Morning News. “It’s probably a good recommendation. Eight weeks looks like the most likely thing for keeping these restrictions, but we won’t know that until the end of the eight weeks.”
Caine said Italy is a good example of why America should practice social distancing and should close businesses where close contact is a concern.
“Italy has more health care professionals than us, per person population and all of their systems have been overwhelmed. They didn’t have any of these mitigating measures put in place until the numbers became so whoppingly high”
Caine said our hospitals in Indiana have not been overwhelmed or overcrowded, and the State Department of Health is trying to keep it that way.
“There’s always that anxiety that individuals or residents may not be doing the things they need to do to safeguard themselves,” she said. ”
Caine said there is a shortage of masks and swabs that are used to test for the virus.
She urges all Hoosiers to practice social distancing, not to travel unless it’s necessary and to consider others before yourself.
“I get patients that say, I don’t need a flu shot. I never get sick. For those risk-takers out there, if you’re not concerned about yourselves, think about your loved ones in terms of doing the right thing. Be patriotic.”
