CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Coronavirus Hotline took its first call on March 9. Over the last month, more than 12,000 calls coming from all West Virginia counties has been answered regarding the ongoing health pandemic.
Operators handle questions from various callers — from medical professionals to members of the general public — 24 hours a day on an array of issues, including symptoms of the coronavirus, treatment options and local ordinances.
“We’ve got an epidemic involving a disease that is new to everybody, so there is a lot of questions,” said Dr. Elizabeth Scharman, director of the West Virginia Poison Center and the hotline supervisor.
“Not everybody in the state has access to the internet and access to new sources. You get in a place where even people have new sources, there is so much and information is conflicting and people want to make sure they understand it correctly.”
Scharman added West Virginians have different resource needs, making it difficult to know which outlet to seek.
“I think it’s important to have a source for people that need that assistance guiding the process or answering quick questions to be there for the citizens of West Virginia,” she said.
Hotline staff includes Posion Center operators and West Virginia University employees trained in toxicology, as well as members of the West Virginia National Guard medical staff and Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority. Scharman noted operators and volunteers take part in a couple of hours of training before starting and receive continuous training as they answer calls.
The number of the West Virginia Coronavirus Hotline is 1-800-887-4304.