NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Over 40 members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) from Tennessee are assisting the Salvation Army and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acting as support for the U.S. Air Force, CAP members are preparing to help in the delivery of over 1,000 meals to 15 homeless camps in the Nashville area over the next week, alongside the Salvation Army.
"We are thankful for our community partners at Civil Air Patrol," said Major Ethan Frizzell, Area Commander for Salvation Army Nashville. "The time their members are giving to us has allowed for an increase in the number of meals we can take out each day, further allowing us to spread help, hope and love into their encampment communities. We are grateful for their members' hearts, and their commitment to our shared mission of loving our neighborhoods."
Members with CAP in Tennessee have also been working continually with TEMA.
"These are several extremely important roles that are outside of the normal expected participation from CAP, but its members met the challenge head-on and have proven themselves to be a highly versatile and capable partner," said Lesli Remaly-Netter, senior voluntary agency liaison at TEMA.
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COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
