KCMO mayor talks coronavirus preparedness

YOUR 41 ACTION NEWSSTATION.NEW AT TEN -WITH THE CORONAVIRUSQUICKLY SPREADINGACROSS THE WORLD...LEADERS HERE IN KANSASWANT TO FIND AN EVFASTER WAY TO TEST FORIT.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER ARIELROTHFIELD SHOWS US THEEFFORTS ALREADYUNDERWAY.IN THE HEART OF THESUNFLOWER STATEIT'S NOT A MATTER OF IF...BUT WHENDr. Lee Norman/ KDHE SecretaryA bit of a waiting game, yeah.DR. LEE NORMAN ISKEEPING AN EYE ON THECORONAVIRUSMONITORING THE SPREADOF THE DISEASE, WHICHHAS KILLED THOUSANDSWORLDWIDEDr. Lee Norman/ KDHE SecretaryI just think we're going to seemore and more activity, weekby week by week.

This is not aflash in the pan, this is goingto be with us for quite sometimeTO PREPARE... THE STATEOF KANSAS IS NOWEQUIPPED TO TEST FORTHE VIRUS AT THISFACILITY IN TOPEKAINSTEAD OF HAVING TORELY ON THE C-D-C,WHICH TOOK DAYS TO GETTHE RESULTS OF ONETEDr. Lee Norman/ KDHE SecretaryNow that we do the lab worin our Health and Environmentlab in the state, we get it in 4to 6 hours.

That's aremarkably better turnaroundtimeSO FAR, TWO PEOPLEHAVE BEEN TESTED.

THEIRRESULTS... NEGATIVEDr. Lee Norman/ KDHE SecretaryA person isn't a person underinvestigation until they havesymptomsWHICH IS WHERE LOCALCITIES AND COUNTHEALTH DEPARTMENTSCOME INTO PLAYIN KANSAS CITY--We have our phone call withthe CDC tomorrow morningMOST OF THEPREPARATION HASINVOLVED MEETINGS ANDCOMMUNICATIONSINCE THEY WOULD BERESPONSIBLE FORCONTACT-TRACING... IF APERSON TESTED POSITIVEFOR CORONAVIRUWe would actually give theman app they could put on theirphone and report theirtemperatures twice a day toas well as symptomsBUT UNTIL THAT DAYCOMESTHE PREPARATIONS WILLCONTINUEDr. Lee Norman/ KDHE SecretaIt really brings up the questionwhat will the new normal be?And we are not anywhere newhere th