The Perry County Health Department released a statement on social media Thursday morning stating that "several cases" they were monitoring have now been hospitalized.
When contacted for more information, health department director Sylvia Forester declined to comment further, citing patient privacy concerns.
"That's not our information to give," Forester told the Republic-Monitor on Tuesday when asked about providing more detailed information. "Positive cases need to focus on recovery, not have to worry about what information about them or their condition people are wanting or are after. That is their story to tell if they chose to do so — not the Health Department's."
On Wednesday afternoon, the health department reported 20 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the county, including nine men and 11 women. Three of those cases have recovered from the disease.
In addition, Thursday's statement offered an update on what public health nurses have learned during their COVID-19 investigations in the county.
According to the statement, nurses have have determined that symptoms of the infection are not the same for everyone.
"Some people experience mild sinus congestion or cough, to more severe symptoms of body aches, headache, or fever," that statement reads. "Some experience a fever one day that is gone the next and returns 1-2 days later. Many are experiencing a lack of taste or smell, a bad taste in their mouth, abdominal discomfort or diarrhea.
"Some experience extreme tiredness and weakness. People continue with mild discomforts while others become very ill. Some have increased symptoms that include difficulty breathing and shortness of breath."
The health department also stressed the importance of community precautions to help slow the spread of the virus, offering a list of recommendations, most of which will sound familiar.
Those recommendations are:
"This is serious! We must all do our part," the statement reads. "Thank you to each of you who are doing your part to decrease the spread of COVID-19 in our community."
