LINCOLN COUNTY: Lincoln County COVID-19 Health Department Update for 03/30/2020

By Press release submission

Apr 1, 2020

Lincoln County issued the following announcement on March 30.

Lincoln County Health Department's update of current status of possible COVID-19 tests and exposures for Lincoln County

MARCH 30, 2020

COVID-19 UPDATE – LINCOLN COUNTY, NC

Lincolnton, NC – The Lincoln County Health Department continues to monitor the spread of COVID-19. The following counts are based on data reported to the Lincoln County Health Department as of today: 191 total people have been tested for COVID-19, of those there are 2 positive-active cases of COVID-19 in Lincoln County, 1 positive-recovered case, 167 other people have tested negative for COVID-19, and 21 others have been tested and are considered persons under investigation (PUI).

• A positive active case is a person who tested positive in a commercial, state, or CDC lab and remains in isolation until cleared.

• A positive recovered case is a person who tested positive in a commercial, state, or CDC lab but has now met the state criteria for clearance.

• A negative case is a person that is no longer considered a PUI because they tested negative in a commercial or state lab.

• A PUI is a person who was tested based on COVID-19 testing criteria and is self-isolating until test results are received. During the period of self-isolation, the Lincoln County Health Department provides daily contact management to all PUIs to monitor symptoms or contacts.

The next Lincoln County COVID-19 data update will be released on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

Lincoln County residents are urged to exercise judgment and take the following precautions as appropriate:

STAY HOME AND CALL YOUR DOCTOR, IF NEEDED

Most people who get COVID-19 will recover without needing medical care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you stay home if you have mild symptoms – such as fever and cough without shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. You can call your doctor to see if you need medical care.

MOST PEOPLE DO NOT NEED A TEST

When you leave your home to get tested, you could expose yourself to COVID-19 if you do not already have it. If you do have COVID-19, you can give it to someone else, including people who are high risk.

ISOLATE YOURSELF

If you are sick with COVID-19 or believe you might have it, you should stay home and separate yourself from other people in the home as much as possible.

• You can stop isolating yourself and go back to your normal activities

when you answer YES to ALL three questions:

1. Has it been at least 7 days since you first had symptoms?

2. Have you been without fever for three days (72 hours) without any medicine for fever?

3. Are your other symptoms improved? Call your doctor if your symptoms

are getting worse or you have any concerns about your health.

Reference: https://files.nc.gov/ncdhhs/documents/files/covid-19/C19-PatientGuidance-3.23.20-FINAL--003-.pdf

Practice good hygiene and take everyday preventive actions to reduce exposure:

o Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds at a time.

o Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashedhands.

o Avoid close contact with people who are ill.

o Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.