ALBANY COUNTY — As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Albany County climbed to 166 Thursday morning, the focus was on mental health.

“Physical health depends on emotional health,” said Stephen Giordano, director of Albany County’s department of mental health.

These are unprecedented times, he said, calling it a “major challenge” for people “dealing with prolonged uncertainty.” He said that about 60 people have called the county’s mental-health helpline, set up after the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The number is 518-269-6634 and the line is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Anyone experiencing a psychiatric emergency should still call the Albany County Mobile Crisis Team at 518-549–6500.

Giordano had advice for dealing with the anxiety he said everyone is feeling: “In a world of uncertainty … take control of what you can.” This means making plans, developing routines, creating family rituals, he said.

Giordano quoted an old adage: “It doesn’t matter what happens in life. It matters how we respond to that.”

He made several suggestions for managing emotions. “Exercise heals us emotionally,” he said. “Sleep is critical for the immune system. So is eating.”

He suggested that people download a meditation app as he had. When the mind focuses on the future, it can cause anxiety, he said. When the mind dwells on the past, it can cause depression. Meditation, Giordano said, helps people focus on the present moment.

Two populations need extra attention: the elderly and children. The elderly can be prone to depression with isolation. “Reach out to your neighbors,” Giordano advised. While he has often been critical of social media, Giordano said, “Now, thank God for social media.”

For children, he said, it is important for adults to model behavior that makes them feel safe, answering the questions they ask.

He also recommended that residents pace themselves and not watch “endless coverage” of the pandemic but, rather, check in once or twice a day.

“The world is still a beautiful place,” Giordano said. “More than ever now, I think we’ll be defined by how we treat one another: kindness, generosity, compassion, empathy — those are still the coin of the day.”

Test kits sought

County Executive Daniel McCoy reported that 566 people in Albany County are under mandatory quarantine and 247 are under precautionary quarantine. That number dropped significantly because 400 people related to a case of COVID-19 at Farnsworth Middle School were released from quarantine, with none of them having contracted the disease.

Fifteen people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Albany County, ranging in age from two months to 99 years old. Six of those patients are in intensive-care units.

The county’s hospitalization rate is currently at 9 percent.

“It’s hitting a younger population here,” said McCoy.

Elizabeth Whalen, the county’s health commissioner, said that the epidemiology in the United States was different than it had been in China. Young people in the United States have had serious illnesses, she said.

McCoy also said that the number of cases in Albany County is probably much higher than the reported 166. This is because, with limited test kits from the federal government, the only people now being tested for the disease are hosptiatlized patients and health-care workers who have been exposed.

Whalen said it is “a concern the numbers are as high as they are” without the widespread community testing that had been done previously. “The test kits are the sticking point,” she said.

She said she would continue to advocate for community-based testing since it makes mitigation strategy more effective. “We need to get tests; we need to do widespread testing of the public,” said Whalen.

Although no deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in Albany County, Whalen said that “we are not far behind” New York City, the epicenter for the disease in the United States, where hospitals have been stretched past their limits and other facilities are being rapidly converted to serve as hospitals.

The county’s health department put out a notice on Wednesday, looking for anyone who was at the Victory Bible Church at 21 Hackett Blvd. in Albany on Sunday, March 15, from 12:30 to 2 p,m. Those people are asked to contact the health department immediately and to stay in their homes under precautionary quarantine until March 29.

“It’s getting harder to track people down,” said McCoy at Thursday’s press conference.

He also said, “People are getting anxious … People are losing their jobs. … It’s getting harder to make claims because the system is being overloaded.”

McCoy concluded, “Help us slow it down so it doesn’t hit us as hard as New York City. It’s coming.”