COVID Corner with Dr. Gary Jacques

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" ---Benjamin Franklin Good morning MANNM and Los Alamos community! At end of business yesterday (3/9/2020), NM still reports no cases of the corona virus. 69 out of 69 cases tested were negative. Colorado now reports 16 cases, Arizona holds steady at about 3, and a look at a US map shows that all states bordering NM have confirmed cases. I suspect it is simply a matter of time before we hear of our state's first case. If and when we do, we need to react as if this is to be expected and nothing really changes in our daily lives. As the saying goes, we should "keep calm and carry on". Carry on, yes, but continue to be careful, practice good personal hygiene, and institute prudent infection control policies at MANNM. These policies (which may be updated/revised frequently) seek to maximize prevention while at the same time preserving scarce resources. Fun fact: common household bleach, diluted 1:50 (one part bleach to 50 parts water) kills corona viruses on hard surfaces after one minute. A full list of common household cleansers such as Clorox, Lysol etc that kill corona viruses has been posted on the bulletin board of Suite A. Special thanks to Brianna who researched this assignment in less than one hour! Thanks for all you do. Have a good Tuesday. Dr. Jacques