FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — Social-distancing measures are working in our region to limit the spread of COVID-19.

That is the belief of Brian Durniok, the President of UPMC Northwest in Seneca.

Durniok spoke during the April 14 Venango County Commissioners meeting and believes that measures that were put into place about a month ago are part of the reason that COVID-19 hasn’t penetrated Northwest and North-Central Pennsylvania the way it has in some urban areas.

“As of (Tuesday), and I haven’t looked at it in a couple of hours, but most recently when I looked at it (Tuesday) we had six positive cases in Venango County,” Durniok said. “If you look to our east, most of the counties around us are also experiencing less penetration than what you’re seeing obviously in certain areas of the country.”

Durniok said that when you look at the four large cities that are considered the hotspots nationally — New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and New Orleans — they represent 70 percent of the COVID-19 cases in the United States.

“Clearly, those urban areas are feeling the pressure from this highly transmissible virus,” Durniok said.

Durniok believes that one of the reasons the areas in and around Venango County and counties to the east of Venango County aren’t seeing as high of numbers is because of the actions that have been taken to slow the spread of the disease.

“Actions that (leaders) took earlier today (Tuesday), as well as earlier as a task force to ensure that people are masking (up), people are following social distancing practices, are really key to us keeping this virus in check for our area,” Durniok said.

“Basically, as of (Tuesday) we’re about a month into social distancing. I think it was the 16th of March, if I’m not mistaken, that the governor had the foresight to stop (gatherings) before St. Patrick’s Day, before we all went out together that evening and spread the virus even more. So, we’re a month into this, and I think it’s providing some relief to the virus in our area.”

According to Durniok, local political leadership has been a real key to combating the virus.

“We are proud of our partnership with the (Venango) County Commissioners, our local EMS providers, our local emergency preparedness teams for Venango County,” Durniok said. “They have all been great partners and resources. I think the dialogue has been great with everyone. There’s great ideas that are flowing back and forth on a regular basis.”

Durniok said local leaders have been very engaged.

“Whether it is Senator Hutchinson or Representative Lee to the county commissioners to our local township supervisors, they have all been very engaged and have been great proponents making sure that we have everything we need,” Durniok said.

Durniok said the while the majority of people who do end up contracting COVID-19 will have symptoms that are similar to the flu, but because it can create complications that are worst in certain segments of the population, that makes it more of a challenge than the flu.

“In most instances, what people are going to have is a version of the flu,” Durniok said. “Yeah, the flu mimics this COVID, and that’s what is making this so complicated. The symptoms, sort of, are virtually the same. Clearly, the virus has been more impactful for people with comorbidities (the simultaneous presence of two chronic diseases or conditions in a patient). And, so we obviously want to keep those people who are compromised with immune disorders or significant comorbidity safe from this and social distance and handwashing, and so on.”

(Photo of Brian Durniok courtesy of UPMC.)