A State University of New York at Fredonia biology professor says the coronavirus poses a “significant threat to our community.”

Ted Lee, in a statement to the OBSERVER over the weekend, said residents need to focus on what could happen and how best to prepare even though there are no confirmed cases in Chautauqua County despite four people being tested. On Sunday, Erie County indicated three residents were diagnosed with the virus.

“If your mother, father, spouse, son, or daughter had cancer, I’m sure many of us would take them to Roswell Park in Buffalo as that is where there are the most knowledgeable people in our area for the treatment of cancer,” he said.

“I would not use social media postings and commentary to news articles to make decisions on the health of a loved one with cancer. I would rely on experts who will make informed decisions. That is what we should be doing with the coronavirus now.”

Lee was involved in some of the preparations that took place at the State University of New York at Fredonia. When state Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a shift to distance learning, the university was forced to come up with a plan on how to proceed in short notice.

“If people work to prevent the spread of the virus, then the region benefits greatly,” he said.

He said comparisons to influenza are not appropriate when discussing this COVID-19 outbreak. “While this is a respiratory disease caused by a virus, it is not the flu and we should not apply our experiences with influenza to this virus,” he said. “There are examples where leaders have not taken this virus seriously and the impacts of this in their countries have been great. What if the Chinese officials listened to the concerns of the doctor who first reported this disease? Instead of following up on a public health threat, the doctor was forced to sign a statement that his warning was unfounded.”

On Sunday, a number of area schools announced that beginning today students should stay home until further notice following the county’s press conference. There, Christine Schuyler of the county’s Health and Human Services department recommended that districts close by Wednesday.

“An important question is how many people may get infected, become ill and need hospitalization. The focus should be on being sure the health care system is able to help those who need medical treatment. If the health care system is overwhelmed, then the death rate due to COVID-19 will increase and people with other medical conditions will die because resources (beds and medical personnel) are not available to treat them in the usual way.

“I don’t want people to panic, rather it is important that people are aware of the significance of the public health threat caused by this virus and the need to address the threat effectively. Rather than buying as much toilet paper, hand sanitizer and bottled water as we can, let’s us think about what we can best to prepare with and for our families, our neighbors, and community. This may very well be a major stress test for ourselves and our community. Let us work to show what we are capable of doing. The cancellation of school events and trips would be prudent at this time.”

Lee concluded: “An excellent starting point for getting honest, insightful, and informed information is from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He has advised 6 presidents and has testified before Congress and given many interviews on this virus. He testified before Congress on March 11 and said ‘that this is a really serious problem that we have to take seriously.’ ”