The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1232982
The Press-Dispatch Local Wednesday, April 8, 2020 A- 5 What parents should know about COVID-19 Developed by Indiana Emergency Medical Servic- es for Children and Indiana State Department of Health What should I say when ex- plaining COVID-19 to my children? • Make time to talk. Be sure children know they can come to you when they have questions. • Avoid language that might blame others and lead to stigma. • Remember that viruses can make anyone sick, re- gardless of a person's race or ethnicity. Avoid mak- ing assumptions about who might have COVID-19. Pay attention to what children see or hear on television, radio or online. • Consider reducing the amount of screen time fo- cused on COVID-19. Too much information on one topic can lead to anxiety. Provide information that is honest and accurate. Give children information that is truthful and appropriate for the age and developmental level of the child. • Talk to children about how some stories on COV- ID-19 on the Internet and so- cial media may be based on rumors and inaccurate infor- mation. • Remind children to stay away from people who are coughing or sneezing or sick. • Remind them to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow, then throw the tissue into the trash. • Get children into a handwashing habit. • Teach them to wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 sec- onds, especially after blow- ing their nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bath- room; and before eating or preparing food. • If soap and water are not available, teach them to use hand sanitizer. Hand sanitiz- er should contain at least 60 percent alcohol. Supervise young children when they use hand sanitizer to pre- vent swallowing alcohol, es- pecially in schools and child- care facilities. For the complete article, visit: coronavirus.in.gov/ files/IN_COVID019_Par- entsFAQ%203.23.20.pdf 8–7 • Monday 8–noon • Tuesday 10–7 • Wednesday 8–5 • Thur. & Fri. Dr. Clint Shoultz 715 S. 9th St., Petersburg 812-354-9400 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and CDC advice, we are compelled to limit patient contact, but are still here for eye health issues and emergency situations. Routine check-ups and eye exams will be re- scheduled once the state of emergency is lifted. If you have glasses or contacts to pick up contact the office for arrangements. If you have an emergency or eye health issue, call us at 812-354-9400. Thank you for your understanding! Locally Owned and Operated RESCHEDULING ROUTINE EXAMS History repeats itself: COVID-19 resembles 1918 influenza By Andy Heuring The word "unprecedented" has been bantered about, often relat- ing to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, 102 years ago, the flu out- break of 1918 was very similar. Be- low is a story from the 1918 Peters- burg Press newspaper. In Novem- ber 1918, the flu broke out and a stay-at-home quarantine order was issued then. It is very similar to the one Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued last week. (Editor's note: it skips from point 5 to point 9 with no explanation). FLU BAN ON AGAIN Spread of disease causes local authorities to act. The influenza ban has been re- stored, owing to the spread of the disease. Not only this county, but practically every locality in the state is affected by the order and the ban will not again be raised until the disease is under control. Drs. T. W. Basinger and J. W. Coleman, county and city health officers, respectively, made ev- ery effort to keep the schools and churches going. The matter was left largely in their hands and they delayed restoring the ban until it became evident that the public health absolutely demanded dras- tic action. When convinced of this fact, they acted promptly and ef- fectively. Schools, churches and all gatherings are now prohibited un- til further orders. Every effort should be made to follow their directions carefully and live strictly up to the rules laid down. The epidemic is by far the worst and the most fatal the county has ever experienced. Every individual owes it to him- self and his family to follow these rules carefully. In the interest of the public health, we are publish- ing the regulations which are to be observed. They are as follows: Whereas, the prevailing ep- idemic of influenza is still rag- ing in certain localities in Pike County. It therefore becomes necessary to adopt strict quaran- tine measures for the purpose of eradicating said disease in Pike County. As an emergency exists, the following order shall be in full force and effect after this date. 1st. Therefore, it is hereby or- dered by the undersigned Health Commissioner of Pike County, Indiana, that all public schools, churches, pool-rooms, picture shows, lodges and all places of amusement where many people congregate, shall be closed to the public in the town of Petersburg and Washington Township, Pike County, Indiana. 2nd. That all public meetings, public funerals and public gath- erings are hereby forbidden. All parents and guardians are here- by ordered to keep all school children upon their own prem- ises, except under circumstanc- es when it becomes absolutely necessary for them to leave said premises. Not more than five per- sons shall be allowed to congre- gate and remain in a group up the streets of Petersburg at any time. 3rd. The officials, directors and committees of all churches, lodges, associations and societ- ies of every sort shall be permit- ted to hold conferences and busi- ness meetings by limiting the at- tendance at such meetings to on- ly five to seven persons. 4th. The owners and propri- etors of all business houses, stores, shops, offices, restau- rants, ice cream parlors, candy kitchens and shops of every kind shall not permit or allow anyone to loaf in or about their places of business. And it is also further or- dered that the proprietors of said stores and shops shall not allow more than four to six customers or patrons to remain in their plac- es of business at one time. 5th. The physicians of the county are hereby urged to re- port daily to the proper health officer every case of influenza occurring in the their practice. The physicians are also asked to quarantine every family where the disease exists by causing an influenza card to be placed upon their house. 9th. All families so quaran- tined shall remain at home except by permission of the attending physician or Health Officer hav- ing jurisdiction. This order shall apply not only to Petersburg and Washington Township, but all lo- calities in Pike County where the ban has not been raised. This ban to be raised on or before Decem- ber 9th, 1918. T.W. Basinger, MD, County Health Officer Continued from page 1 COVID-19 Down time offers opportunity to thank vets EV V12 Honor Flight will be Aug. 22, and the vet- erans and guardians that were scheduled for the May 2 flight have been resched- uled to the new day. With schools out, Hon- or Flight is concerned they will not receive the amount of mail for veterans they usu- ally receive. If families would like to write thank you letters to vets, mail them to Honor Flight, Mail Call, PO Box 8234, Evansville, IN 47716. A fall flight, EV V13, is still scheduled for Oct. 3. Playgrounds are off limits Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, playgrounds throughout Indiana are closed to the public. This one at Prides Creek Park is taped off to prevent people from playing on it. campgrounds in Indiana, ex- cept if they are the person's primary residence. Prides Creek has since closed their campgrounds. On Tuesday, 34 addition- al people died from Corona- virus according to Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Kristin Box. "I want to brace you to see them (deaths) in- crease as we get closer to the peak of this disease." She also reported Indi- ana averages 154 flu deaths a year. Box said she doesn't think we have seen the peak in deaths year." Holcomb said people should not be crossing state lines for leisure. "This is not a time to be partying. It is a time to hunker down." Holcomb and Box both did say people should get outside and exercise. In fact, they encouraged people who have been staying indoors to get outside with their imme- diate family and keep their distance from other people. Holcomb said they have left state parks open for the purpose to allow people somewhere to go to walk and be outside. Box said staying in shape and exercis- ing helps people both men- tally and physically. Holcomb added the stip- ulation that people should go to a nearby park and not travel around the state to dif- ferent parks. No. 423 Smokehouse res- taurant has closed until fur- ther notice. The China Wok closed temporarily when restaurants were limited to carry-out only. Most churches are meet- ing only online. Some are meeting in their parking lots and staying in their vehicles. The Petersburg Ministeri- al Association's community Good Friday services have been cancelled. "People need to heed the governor's advice. They need to get out only for food at the grocery store. It should be just one person. If someone doesn't live in your household, you shouldn't be getting together with them," said Gladish. Homework for the next two weeks Petersburg Elementary staff Erika Boeckman-1st grade teacher, Sara Fields-Teaching Assistant, Rick King-Principal take assignment packets out to parents as they drove through the school's parking lot last week to pick up their children's assignments for the next two weeks. Students throughout Indiana will fin- ish the year on eLearning due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.