Ninth, 10th and 11th cases of COVID-19 announced
May 27, 2020
Sheila Harris
The ninth and 10th cases of COVID-19 were reported by the Barry County Health Department on May 21, the first new cases since May 7, 2020.
The ninth case was travel-related.
“The Barry County resident was tested outside of our county; test results were positive, and we were notified by the state," Barry County Health Department administrator, Roger Brock, explained. "The person had recently traveled outside of Barry County, but within the State of Missouri, so it was considered a travel related case."
Barry County's 10th case of COVID-19 was the result of a positive antibodies test. The positive antibodies test does not represent an active COVID-19 case, but does indicate the person had COVID-19 and has since recovered.
On May 26, an 11th case of COVID-19 has been reported in Barry County, contracted as a result of community spread, according to Barry County Health Department administrator, Roger Brock.
“This is an active case,” Brock said. “The individual is now in isolation, and close contacts are being notified and will be quarantined, if appropriate.”
Brock went on to say that the health department monitors all individuals under isolation and/or quarantine orders daily.
Steve Edwards, CEO of CoxHealth, is passionate in reiterating that three basic steps can help “flatten the curve” and limit the spread of COVID-19.
“Practice good hygiene, maintain a social distance of six feet between individuals, and wear a cloth mask in public,” he stated. “Just doing one of the three isn’t enough, but when we practice all three, they work together to help halt the spread of the virus.”
“Wearing a mask in public should not be considered a political issue,” he noted. “A virus certainly isn’t political, nor does it discriminate based on age. We almost lost a 20-year-old to COVID-19 in our Springfield hospital last week. She remained in ICU on a ventilator for two weeks, and finally recovered after receiving convalescent plasma. Her only pre-existing conditions was that she was pregnant.”
With Missouri’s reopening, Edwards expects to see an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, although he also suspects that seasonality may play a part in keeping it at bay for a time.
The no-charge Mercy/CoxHealth COVID-19 testing unit will remain in place in Monett at First United Methodist Church as long as it’s needed.
“We’re testing an average of 10 people a week,” Edwards said. “Our hope is to continute utilizing it in order to keep our emergency room personnel from being exposed to the virus.”
The free testing unit in Monett is available with a doctor’s referral, through the CoxHealth or Mercy website.
The Barry County Health Department offers a drive-through testing unit at their Cassville location. Please call the health department at 417-847-2114 and a health care worker will determine, based on your symptoms, if a test is indicated. There is a $10 charge for the test.
According to Steve Edwards, more testing kits are now available in Missouri, so criteria have been liberalized.
“We can now offer tests to people who have only one symptom of COVID-19,” he said. “We soon hope to offer randomized testing to people with no symptoms, if they work in a healthcare or industrial environment, for example.”
As a reminder, symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath or at least two of the following symptoms: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell.
Symptoms may begin two days to two weeks after exposure.
Barry County Officials remind residents the best way to prevent travel related COVID-19 is to avoid unnecessary travel outside of Barry County. When travel is necessary, wearing a cloth face covering, maintaining a physical distance of 6’, avoiding groups of greater than 10 people, and washing hands often are recommended.
State of Missouri Emergency and Barry County Phase 1 Reopening rules remain in effect until May 31, 2020. Those rules include physical distancing requirements, required source control masking for certain service providers, and enhanced hygiene practices.
Persons at a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, including those greater than 65 years of age, who are immuno-compromised or have chronic medical conditions, should limit travel and wear a cloth face-covering in public. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/groups-athigher-
risk.html)
The ninth and 10th cases of COVID-19 were reported by the Barry County Health Department on May 21, the first new cases since May 7, 2020.
The ninth case was travel-related.
“The Barry County resident was tested outside of our county; test results were positive, and we were notified by the state," Barry County Health Department administrator, Roger Brock, explained. "The person had recently traveled outside of Barry County, but within the State of Missouri, so it was considered a travel related case."
Barry County's 10th case of COVID-19 was the result of a positive antibodies test. The positive antibodies test does not represent an active COVID-19 case, but does indicate the person had COVID-19 and has since recovered.
On May 26, an 11th case of COVID-19 has been reported in Barry County, contracted as a result of community spread, according to Barry County Health Department administrator, Roger Brock.
“This is an active case,” Brock said. “The individual is now in isolation, and close contacts are being notified and will be quarantined, if appropriate.”
Brock went on to say that the health department monitors all individuals under isolation and/or quarantine orders daily.
Steve Edwards, CEO of CoxHealth, is passionate in reiterating that three basic steps can help “flatten the curve” and limit the spread of COVID-19.
“Practice good hygiene, maintain a social distance of six feet between individuals, and wear a cloth mask in public,” he stated. “Just doing one of the three isn’t enough, but when we practice all three, they work together to help halt the spread of the virus.”
“Wearing a mask in public should not be considered a political issue,” he noted. “A virus certainly isn’t political, nor does it discriminate based on age. We almost lost a 20-year-old to COVID-19 in our Springfield hospital last week. She remained in ICU on a ventilator for two weeks, and finally recovered after receiving convalescent plasma. Her only pre-existing conditions was that she was pregnant.”
With Missouri’s reopening, Edwards expects to see an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, although he also suspects that seasonality may play a part in keeping it at bay for a time.
The no-charge Mercy/CoxHealth COVID-19 testing unit will remain in place in Monett at First United Methodist Church as long as it’s needed.
“We’re testing an average of 10 people a week,” Edwards said. “Our hope is to continute utilizing it in order to keep our emergency room personnel from being exposed to the virus.”
The free testing unit in Monett is available with a doctor’s referral, through the CoxHealth or Mercy website.
The Barry County Health Department offers a drive-through testing unit at their Cassville location. Please call the health department at 417-847-2114 and a health care worker will determine, based on your symptoms, if a test is indicated. There is a $10 charge for the test.
According to Steve Edwards, more testing kits are now available in Missouri, so criteria have been liberalized.
“We can now offer tests to people who have only one symptom of COVID-19,” he said. “We soon hope to offer randomized testing to people with no symptoms, if they work in a healthcare or industrial environment, for example.”
As a reminder, symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath or at least two of the following symptoms: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell.
Symptoms may begin two days to two weeks after exposure.
Barry County Officials remind residents the best way to prevent travel related COVID-19 is to avoid unnecessary travel outside of Barry County. When travel is necessary, wearing a cloth face covering, maintaining a physical distance of 6’, avoiding groups of greater than 10 people, and washing hands often are recommended.
State of Missouri Emergency and Barry County Phase 1 Reopening rules remain in effect until May 31, 2020. Those rules include physical distancing requirements, required source control masking for certain service providers, and enhanced hygiene practices.
Persons at a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, including those greater than 65 years of age, who are immuno-compromised or have chronic medical conditions, should limit travel and wear a cloth face-covering in public. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/groups-athigher-
risk.html)