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After the events of the past several months, no one could blame Sheila Hahs, 61, for wanting to retire.
But after nearly 40 years in public health, she said it was already in the works.
“I’m going out with a bang, whether I want to or not,” said Hahs, who serves as the Perry County Health Department’s communicable disease coordinator.
Until that time, COVID-19 has certainly made life busier for Hahs and her team.
“It was been very hectic, but everyone pitches it to get the job done,” Hahs said.
During outbreaks of this sort, Hahs is in charge of investigating COVID-19 and the locations the virus have been found and depending on the situation what questions need to be asked.
“Investigations can range from where people have traveled, where and what they have eaten, to who they have come in contact with,” Hahs said. “Those questions can vary based on the situation. Then we educate them to prevent it from happening again.”
As of Monday, there have been 43 cases of COVID-19 in Perry County, with 38 reported recoveries.
As communicable disease coordinator, Hahs has been charged with making a number of phone calls alerting people that they have a confirmed case of the Novel coronavirus.
Understandably, the reactions on the other end of the phone have been mixed.
“They have been across the board,” Hahs said. “People have been shocked or relieved just to know the cause of their symptoms. From there, we follow the CDC guidelines regarding self-isolation and how to prevent further spread.”
Because of her chosen profession, Hahs said there is a usually cause for concern for whenever she works with anyone who has come in contact with the novel coronavirus or even daily on the job.
Hahs said the key is to think more about others than herself.
“There is always concern, but if you use the PPE properly it makes you feel safer,” Hahs said. “Being the Nursing Supervisor, I have tried to work every case so I can protect those younger nurses with small children.”
Hahs has investigated a number of outbreaks over the years — most recently, a salmonella outbreak in 2018 —and she believes that while salmonella was tough to deal with, COVID-19 has the potential to be worse.
“Salmonella involved more people who were directly involved” Hahs said, “where COVID-19 has the potential to affect everyone because of the way it is transmitted.”
The first phase of Mike Parson’s “Show-Me Strong” recovery plan allowed most businesses in the state to reopen on Monday, as long as they followed certain standards.
Hahs hopes Perry County residents have learned something through quarantine and this ordeal.
“I feel that Perry County residents can now see how important social distancing and washing hands can be, especially around flu season to help prevent the spread of disease.”
Health Department director Sylvia Forester said Hahs will be missed when she leaves in June.
“It’s definitely bittersweet,” Forester said. “We’re so happy for her, but will miss her dearly. Her dedication and hard work for the Perry County Health Department and the citizens of Perry County over the last three decades is inspiring and will forever be remembered. Her accomplishments are countless, and her mentorship and friendship will be missed daily.”
