COVID-19 Alaska Daily Clinical Update, June 4
Alaska Department of Health sent this bulletin at 06/04/2020 07:18 PM AKDT
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Liz Conway Ohlsen, MD
With information from Anne Zink, MD, FACEP, Alaska Chief Medical Officer
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Frequently asked questions from the ECHO sessions:
What are the health risks of children missing out on socialization, sports and camps as a result of social distancing and health mandates?
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impact on children and families. Children have missed school or daycare and been unable to visit with friends in person, while sports and activities have been cancelled. Since exercise, play and social activities are key for every child’s development, our children’s well being depends on finding ways to recreate and socialize while maintaining social distance- for example by arranging video chats with a schoolage child’s friends, introducing a teenager to a new set of bicycle trails, or taking a toddler to a park for free play in the sunshine. The Alaska Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation is also working to keep public land open for as many people as possible during the pandemic.
When will Alaska be open to tourists without a 2 week quarantine?
Starting June 5th, Alaskans returning from Outside and visitors to Alaska will be able to avoid a two week quarantine if they have no symptoms on arrival and have documentation of a negative RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 performed within 72 hours of arrival. While several major airlines are partnering with the State to help travelers navigate getting tested before boarding, travelers may need to contact clinics in the area they are traveling from to obtain testing. For travelers who arrive in Alaska without documentation of a negative test within 72 hours, there may be some rapid tests available in the airport, but these are subject to availability and travelers should expect a significant wait. Travelers who do not provide proof of a negative test and who choose not to test at the airport will need to observe a 2 week quarantine on arrival.
How many deaths from COVID-19 have been documented in Alaska to date?
10 Alaskans have lost their lives to COVID-19. Two were in other states at the time of their illnesses.
Does the patient have any benefit from masking during a visit?
Yes, cloth face coverings provide some benefit to the person wearing them, although their main purpose is to stop the respiratory droplets produced by the person wearing them from traveling close to another person. They may also help a patient remember not to touch their face. Masks made with household fabrics were recently tested in a not yet peer reviewed preprint paper which concluded that double layer cloth masks may provide significantly more protection than masks made with a single layer of fabric.
Surgical masks provide even more benefit to the person wearing them, but CDC currently recommends reserving surgical masks and N95s for people working in health care due to mask shortages.
We can all help remind patients that wearing masks protects both them and everyone around them.
Correction: several of the updates contain the wrong telephone number for the AK COVID-19 clinical hotline for physicians. The correct number is 833-751-4212. This hotline helps you reach a physician for consultation and clinical questions 24/7. While there is always someone available, the hours of 8 PM to 8 AM are reserved for urgent or emergent questions only.
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