COVID POSITIVES ON THE RISE IN REGION

(11/11/2020)
Parkersburg, WV November 10, 2020 – As of November 10, the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department has 418 active positive cases. Hospitalization has increased over the last few weeks. Both Camden Clark and Marietta Memorial have COVID units that are at capacity. MOHVD has 32 outbreaks that include: • six local schools • two local colleges • five churches • eight long-term care facilities • five health care facilities • two correctional facilities • and several businesses>

For a long-term care facility, only one positive staff or resident constitutes an outbreak. This is due to the congregate setting where COVID can be passed quickly if rigorous restrictions are not put into place such as isolating the positive case, assuring that personal protective equipment is used and testing is completed on a regular basis.

For individuals that may be associated with an outbreak, it is very important that they cooperate with the health department in determining close contacts. Close contact is a person that the positive case has been within six feet of for at least 15 minutes. MOVHD has had people indicate that they are being told not to cooperate with the health department in identifying their contacts. Without this information, someone might be positive and spreading the virus without knowing.

MOVHD would like to stress the importance of adhering to limiting group gatherings, wearing a mask, staying at home if positive or a contact of a positive, washing/sanitizing hands and Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department 211 Sixth Street Parkersburg, WV 26101 maintaining a distance of six-feet. If everyone takes this seriously and does their part, we may start to see the case load come down.

COVID cases in the region as of 11/10 are

*A probable is someone that has symptoms and has been exposed to a positive but has not been tested.

As the cases continue to climb, MOVHD is working hard to contact the positive cases, interview the individual and find out who might have been a contact of the positive. With support from the National Guard, we try to reach those contacts and inform them that they have been exposed to a positive case (no name is given). These individuals are requested to quarantine for 14 days to try to keep from spreading the disease.

If you have been notified by your doctor or testing facility that you have COVID-19, stay at home and away from other persons in the house. With the increased testing, additional cases, and the escalation in outbreaks, MOVHD ask that the community be patient with us as we make every effort to contact persons as quickly as possible.

Stay safe, wear a mask for you and for
those around you ... We must do better.