One Cherokee County Resident Tests Positive for COVID-19, Currently Isolated
CHEROKEE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
David Badger, Health Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2020
One resident of Cherokee County has tested positive for COVID – 19 and is currently isolated in Valley View Care and Rehabilitation Center in Andrews, NC. This individual is believed to have been infected while obtaining medical care outside the long-term care facility. The Cherokee County Health Department is working closely with the Valley View Care and Rehabilitation Center to ensure they have taken the proper steps to prevent spread of the virus. The Cherokee County Health Department is also performing testing on all residents and staff. This individual has remained asymptomatic.
Recent contact investigations related to (previously) reported cases in Cherokee County have left no clear source of infection and are an indication that community spread is occurring. According to the CDC, community spread means people have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected. In an effort to slow community spread, Cherokee County Health Department is continuing to urge anyone who does not have an essential need to go out into the public to Stay at Home and limit all unnecessary contacts.
Cherokee County Health Department also emphasizes that anyone who becomes ill with a respiratory type illness to isolate until the following criteria are met:
At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), AND• At least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
It is also recommended that household and close contacts of persons with a respiratory type illness should quarantine to the extent possible for 14 days and monitor for symptoms of a respiratory illness. If household or close contacts become sick during the 14 day monitoring period, it is advised that they then isolate until the criteria for discontinuation of isolation (listed above) are met.
In addition to isolating as instructed above, if you become sick with a respiratory type illness and are in one of the following categories, please contact the Cherokee County Health Department at 828-837-7486 or your primary care provider to determine if you need to be tested:
*Healthcare worker
*65 years and older
*Underlying health conditions such as chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma; serious heart conditions; people with weakened immune systems, severe obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, liver disease.
*First Responder
*Essential worker
Because COVID-19 is most commonly spread through respiratory droplets, individuals should take the same measures that health care providers recommend to prevent the spread of the flu and other viruses, including washing your hands, avoiding touching your face, staying home if you are sick and covering coughs and sneezes with your elbow. It is also recommended that all individuals only go into public areas for essential activities. The CDC now recommends that cloth face coverings be worn in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies).
It is important to make sure the information you are getting about COVID-19 is coming directly from reliable sources like Cherokee County Health Department, CDC, and NCDHHS. For more information, please visit the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus and NCDHHS’ website at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus, which will also include future positive COVID-19 test results in North Carolina.
Cherokee County Health Department regularly updates our Facebook page with accurate and current information regarding COVID-19, we encourage the public to check our Facebook page for up-to-date information.
Symptoms for COVID-19 are fever, cough, and other lower respiratory illness (shortness of breath). If you are having a mild respiratory illness, isolate yourself from others until the criteria above is met. If your illness becomes severe requiring urgent or emergent health care, call and inform your health care provider or emergency services of your symptoms prior to arrival.If you have questions, you may call the Health Department at 828-837-7486 during regular office hours which are Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM.
Photo courtesy of Cherokee County, NC Emergency Management
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