Submitted by Lewis County Public Health & Social Services
L
ewis County Public Health & Social Services (LCPHSS) announced that the first
confirmed case of COVID-19 has been identified in Lewis County. The patient is a Lewis County resident in their 80s who is undergoing medical care.
At this time, LCPHSS is investigating where the patient may have come into contact with the coronavirus, and whom they were in contact with once they became sick. This contact investigation process helps limit the spread of disease by tracing all who may have come into contact with a sick person. It identifies others who may have been exposed, may also get infected, and possibly spread the disease to more people.
“At this time, Lewis County residents, in general, are still at low risk,” according to Lewis County Health Officer Dr. Rachel Wood. “A person would have to have spent time in within six feet of this infected person to be at risk themselves. Anyone who had not, was not exposed to this person,” she said.
According to Dr. Wood, those who are at the highest risk are people over age 60, people with existing medical conditions affecting their heart or lungs, and people with diabetes. Those people should arrange to limit social encounters and stay home, requesting support from family and friends who remain well. Dr. Wood said her best advice to everyone is to reduce your chances of getting sick by:
- Washing your hands frequently
- Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw it away, or cough into your elbow
- Stay away from people who are sick
- Frequently clean surfaces that get touched a lot – counters, keyboards, your cell phone, doorknobs, handles, etc.
Lewis County Manager Erik Martin said he is requesting that the Lewis County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) issue an Emergency Declaration at its public meeting on Monday, March 16.
Martin said, “This declaration does not mean that the county or its residents are in direct danger if they are following the Lewis County Health Officer’s recommendations. The declaration clears the way for the county to access needed state and federal resources, and track expenses incurred for reimbursement by appropriated state and federal funds. It also lets the county purchase goods and services outside of normal bidding requirements in the event they are needed for this effort.”
County officials urge people to stay informed. A web page with COVID-19 information for Lewis County is live. Check it frequently for the latest information on this Novel Coronavirus and what is happening in Lewis County at covid19.lewiscountywa.gov.
Use other sources you can trust to bring you just the facts without non-medical professionals’ analysis or opinion added. Knowledgeable and trusted sources LCPHSS recommends for up-to-date public information on COVID-19 are:
- LCPHSS Twitter feed, @LCPHSS
- LCPHSS Facebook page, facebook.com/lcphss
- Washington State Department of Health (DOH), doh.wa.gov/coronavirus
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
In addition, DOH has established a call center to answer questions from the public. If you have questions about what is happening in Washington, how the virus is spread, and what to do if you have symptoms, call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.
