HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — There are currently 14 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. and health officials in Alabama are getting ready for it.
Madison County leaders and local health officials held a press conference on Thursday about what is being done here to prepare for COVID-19.
Health officials say people in Alabama shouldn't be too worried about COVID-19 as of right now.
Dr. Karen Landers with the Alabama Department of Public Health said, "The information as we have it right now at the moment and looking at our training and looking at our preparedness, the overall risks to the general public in the state of Alabama and in other states is low."
Madison County officials say they're working together to make sure our community is prepared for the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said, "We'll have plans, and as those plans take place, we will make sure we as a community take care of our citizens."
Health officials say because COVID-19 is a respiratory virus, prevention is very similar to what we do to for the flu.
Crestwood Hospital CEO, Pam Hudson, said, "Wash your hands. Control your cough. If you're sick, don't go out. If you're well, don't go to places where people are sick."
Even with recent cases in other states, local hospitals are confident in their plans to diagnose and report potential cases of the COVID-19 virus.
"We added travel questions, a more robust set of travel questions, much like we did with SARS and MERS and Ebola back as we have been through those challenges," said Hudson.
VP of Operations for Huntsville Hospital, Tracy Doughty, said, "It didn't change our game plan. It made us think about it more and look at our plans again, but we feel that we're in a great place, and if it happens here, we're ready to go."
Mayor Battle says he hopes we don't have to deal with COVID-19 here, but if we do, he's confident we will be ready for it.