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Less than four days after Perry County received news of its first confirmed case of COVID-19 and less than 24 hours after the county commission issued an order for county residents to shelter in place, the Perry County Health Department reported the confirmation of a third case.
According to director Sylvia Forester, the Perry County Health Department received confirmation at approximately 6 a.m. Wednesday morning. The latest subject was identified as a woman in her 30s, and it is not clear yet if she is connected to the previous two cases.
Speaking Tuesday in a video statement broadcast on social media, Forester said that the department’s public health nurses have been conducting contact investigations into the previous cases and warned that the number of cases could increase greatly in coming days.
“In both instances, our public health nurses immediately started a contact investigation working into the night to determine individuals and organizations that are at an elevated risk for infection,” Forester said Tuesday. “So far, our investigation has revealed six close contacts who have been approved for testing through the Missouri State Public Health Lab, some of which are health care professionals. As of yesterday, the Perry County Health Department is aware of 13 individuals awaiting test results.
“This does not include the additional six we have identified.”
Wednesday morning, Forester told the Republic-Monitor that the latest case was not one of the six possible cases connected to the first two and that it was unclear if it was one of the other 13.
According to a news release issued at 6:42 p.m. Monday, the second individual, reported to be a male in his 30s, was exhibiting symptoms when he was contacted by the Health Department as part of their investigation into those who had been in close contact with the first infected individual.
The first case was announced late Saturday, and according to the health department, the first subject, a woman in her 50s, did not self-isolate when her symptoms first presented.
“Further investigation of this initial case revealed they had not been in isolation since the first sign of symptoms as previously thought,” Forester said.
Public health officials are investigating both cases, speaking with individuals who the patient may have come into contact with before the confirmed diagnoses. Method of transmission is still being investigated and patients will continue to be monitored by the health department while in isolation.
Forester said she expects more cases to be confirmed locally as the number of residents tested increases.
“Investigations are still ongoing,” Forester said. “At-risk individuals and organizations are continuing to be identified and notified. More positives will continue to occur. Some of these positives will be connected to our current cases and some will not. As more positives are identified, the scope and reach of our own investigations will increase and more citizens will be affected.”
On Tuesday, the Perry County Commission issued a “shelter in place” advisory for all county residents, the decision coming on the heels of Sunday’s declaration of a state of emergency in the county, activating the county’s Emergency Operations Center.
That order also mandated the closing of all food establishments, bars and taverns to inside service, while encouraging each to offer service to the public using delivery, drive-through or curbside service as every such person involved implements appropriate precautions.
“We are working closely with the Perry County Health Department, City of Perryville and Emergency Management to make informed decisions to keep our community safe, “ Sauer said in Sunday’s statement. “We are listening to the health department, and implementing the recommendations of the Department of Health and Senior Services and Gov. Parson’s office.”
As of Wednesday, the state Department of Health and Senior Services listed more than 270 confirmed cases in Missouri and eight deaths. The first fatality was reported on March 18.
As of Wednesday, there were more than 53,000 active cases across the U.S., with more than 800 deaths according to Johns Hopkins University, which has been tracking the spread of the virus. Worldwide, there are more than 435,000 active cases with more than 19,000 deaths.
“It is imperative that everyone heed cautions and warning,” Forester said Tuesday. “Please monitor yourself and your family daily for symptoms. The most common symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. The Perry County health department will continue to update the citizens of Perry County daily and as any new developments arise.”
COVID-19, which stands for “coronavirus disease 2019,” is caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The viruses can cause the common cold or more severe diseases such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) and COVID-19, the latter of which first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough and breathing trouble. Most people infected develop only mild symptoms, but some develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.
For more information about COVID-19, call the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ 24-hour hotline at 1-877-435-8411.
For more information regarding COVID-19 and CDC guidance for local response, visit www.coronavirus.gov.
For Missouri specific information, visit the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services at health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus.
