Local Businesses Face Challenges After Public Health Warning About Measles Exposure
A family-friendly buffet restaurant in Iowa is dealing with a major drop in customers after being identified as a place where people might have been exposed to measles. The restaurant owner only found out about the public announcement when a relative contacted him after seeing it on television. Shortly after the news spread, the restaurant saw its daily business cut in half.
The owner wants to make sure the community understands that his business did nothing wrong. He explained that the situation was entirely out of his control. A person who was already sick simply walked into the building, ate a meal, and left. To help put customers at ease, the restaurant staff has started cleaning and sanitizing the building even more thoroughly than usual.
Understanding the Actual Risk of Exposure
Local health experts are trying to calm public fears about the situation. They point out that just because a person was at the restaurant at the same time as the sick individual does not mean they will automatically get sick. Being in the same building is a risk, but it is not a guarantee of infection.
However, the situation is much more serious for people who have not been vaccinated. Health experts emphasize that the measles vaccine is the most effective way to protect yourself. For those who have never received the vaccine, the virus is incredibly easy to catch. If an unvaccinated person is exposed to measles, there is a greater than 90% chance that they will become sick.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can linger in the air and on surfaces for hours, which is why public health officials warn the community when an infected person visits public spaces.
What to Do If You Think You Are Sick
If you believe you have been exposed to measles and are starting to show symptoms, health professionals urge you to call ahead before visiting any clinic, urgent care center, or hospital. Walking directly into a medical waiting room can put many other people at risk, especially those who may have weak immune systems.
By calling your doctor first, the medical staff can make special arrangements to see you without exposing other patients in the waiting area. Currently, local health departments do not plan to host special vaccination clinics, but they are monitoring the situation closely and may open them if more cases appear.
Other Locations of Potential Exposure
The buffet restaurant is not the only place where people might have been exposed to the virus. Health officials have identified several other businesses in the region where an infected person spent time. If you visited any of the following types of businesses in these areas, you should monitor yourself for symptoms:
- A health food store in Clive (during the mid-afternoon)
- A medical clinic in West Des Moines (during the late afternoon)
- An office supply store in West Des Moines (during the late afternoon and early evening)
- A home improvement store in Clive (during the evening)
- A home improvement store in Des Moines (during the evening)
- A pharmacy in Bloomfield (during the late afternoon)
- A farm supply store in Bloomfield (throughout the day)
- A buffet restaurant in Ottumwa (during the lunch hours)
- A local grocery store
If you or your family members visited these areas during these general times, health experts recommend checking your vaccination records. Keeping your vaccinations up to date is the best way to keep yourself and your neighbors safe from preventable illnesses.