Courtesy of Dubois County Emergency Management
By CANDY NEAL
[email protected]
Dubois County has seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the county.
The county is number 1 in the state for the number of cases per capita detected as positive in the past seven days, making Dubois County a hot spot for the virus.
This increase has worried health officials.
“I was surprised to see it,” said county health officer Dr. Ted Waflart. “I knew things were not going well. But I never dreamed that we were worse than anywhere else in the state. “
To compare all counties, the number of cases a county has is converted to reflect what the number would be if 100,000 people lived in the county. Based on that, Dubois County has had 239 cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days. Marshall County is second with 210 cases, Posey is third with 185 and Vanderburgh is fourth with 184 cases. The state’s per capita number for the last seven days is 79.
This shows that Dubois County has the highest positive case growth of all Indiana counties. And it shows why residents and officials must do everything possible to try to stop the spread of the virus.
See a breakdown of Dubois County COVID-19 cases by zip code
“It is serious,” said county emergency management director Tammy Humbert. “It is a very serious situation that we are in.”
And most of the county’s positive cases are not older people – they are among the younger populations.
“We are seeing it between 20 and 50 years old. Almost 90% of people with it are under the age of 60, ”said Shawn Werner, managing director of the Dubois County Health Department. “That is why we are not seeing the large number of hospitalizations and deaths because of this, because it is still in our youngest population.”
According to information compiled by the Indiana State Department of Health, the highest percentages of positive cases in Dubois County are among those ages 20-49. In that, 20.9% are between 40 and 49 years old, 19.8% are between 30 and 39 years old, and 19.3% are between 20 and 29 years old. Children under 20 years represent 12.8% of cases and those between 50 and 59 years 15.7%.
Among the previous generation, 6.3% of positive cases are people between 60 and 69 years old, 3.1% are between 70 and 79 and 3.1% are 80 years old or older.
“If it reaches our older population because the younger population now receives it and passes it on to their grandparents, then we can see that trend change,” Werner said. “And that is what we want to try to avoid.”
“They are in the younger generation right now,” said Humbert, “and they don’t get sick. Some of them don’t even show symptoms. What we’re concerned about is that people don’t wear masks to protect our population that they might be prone to. this highly contagious disease that we are dealing with. ”
There are many assumptions in the community right now that are not correct, Humbert said.
“They assume it is in the factories or in a business. What we are discovering is that this extends through the community, ”he said. “You are not alone in certain places. This is community propagation. “
Authorities note that people are being tested because they believe they have the virus. “And then they keep talking about their business,” said Humbert. “They still go shopping, they keep going to church, they keep going to work. And then they get the results, and the results are positive. Now they’ve been to all these places. “
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It can take four to five days to get the test results. “So it is possible that four or five days will infect people,” said Humbert.
“If they are afraid they might have COVID and they are going to be tested,” Werner said, “then staying home until they receive those results would be the right thing to do.”
Werner said staying home after you’ve been tested is best.
“People get tested because they had the impression that they were a close contact or that they could have the virus or something like that,” he said. “Stay home until you get your results. And you know if you’re a close contact, you’re supposed to stay home for 14 days anyway. “
People don’t stay home.
Here is the difference between quarantine and isolation: COVID-19-Quarantine-vs-Isolation.pdf
“Another big problem is that everyone continues and is not applying the quarantine recommendation,” said Werner. “If you are sick or examined, stay home. And if you get a negative result and it is close contact, you still need to complete the 14 day quarantine period.
“The test is just a snapshot of that day. It doesn’t mean that the next day you can’t be positive. “
People are also receiving incorrect information about what they see on social media, Waflart said.
“Don’t rely on social media for information,” he said. “Get your information from trusted sources: the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and the Indiana State Department of Health. Don’t jump at the first thing you hear. Consult with an authority.
Local COVID-19 test sites
For those who have symptoms of COVID-19:
The Memorial Hospital Urgent Care Center and the Medical Care Center are available for patients who do not require emergency department services but who have symptoms of COVID-19.
Location: 507 E. 19th St., Huntingburg
Telephone: 812-683-4717
Office hours: 7 days a week from 8 am to 8 pm
For those who have been in close contact with someone who has the virus, or suspect that they may have the virus even without symptoms:
OptumServe Health Services COVID-19 Testing
Location: Ruxer Golf Course Building, 400 S. Clay St., Jasper
Office hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 8 am to 8 pm
Schedule an appointment at https://lhi.care/covidtesting or by phone at 888-634-1116
