Allamakee County reports six more confirmed COVID-19 cases this week
A week similar to the very first week of confirmed Allamakee County cases of COVID-19 played out this past week within the county, as six new cases were reported over a period of four different days. It was one month ago, March 15, that the first confirmed cases were reported for Allamakee County and began a week of six initial confirmed cases, with this past week equaling that same initial week number to leave the total confirmed case count at 23 for Allamakee County.
Information released Monday, April 13 by the Allamakee County Department of Public Health reported that of those 23 confirmed cases, 15 of those cases are listed as “Recovered/Off Isolation”, which is two more than what had been reported at that same status a week earlier. Five of the 23 cases have been reported as requiring hospitalization, with three cases currently hospitalized. With the county death total remaining at just one since first reported in late March, that leaves four current confirmed cases being isolated recovering at home as of those April 13 statistics.
Through that Monday, April 13 date, Allamakee County Public Health reports sending 63 tests to the State Hygienic Lab, with 46 of those tests being negative and zero test results pending for Allamakee County Public Health as of Monday.
It is noted by Allamakee County Public Health that the number of tests conducted on Allamakee County residents at other labs such as Gundersen, Mayo, University of Iowa, etc. are unable to be tracked by county health officials. However, any of those tests conducted elsewhere that return positive results for COVID-19 are reported to the Iowa Department of Public Health, who then notifies Allamakee County Public Health to initiate follow-up protocol and to include those positive test results within the county’s reporting statistics.
The six new Allamakee County confirmed cases this past week included two reported Wednesday, April 8 that were confirmed in an adult age 18-40 and an older adult between 61-80 years of age. An additional case was reported Friday, April 10 in a middle age adult 41-60 years of age and another reported Saturday, April 11 in an older adult 61-80 years old. Two additional cases were added Monday morning, April 13, with both of those being reported in adults ages 18-40.
A previous confirmed case that had been reported in Allamakee County Monday, April 6 was later reported as actually having been confirmed in a Clayton County resident and removed from the Allamakee County total Tuesday, April 7.
Allamakee County Public Health reminds people of the crucial importance of the following mitigation measures:
• Stay home whenever possible
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds
• Maintain six-foot distance between each other.
Those who think they may need healthcare are reminded to call their healthcare provider first, who can assess whether they need to be seen in a healthcare facility or should try to recover at home.
Those who are ill are reminded of the importance of self-isolation. Stay home and isolate from others in the house until:
• No fever for at least 72 hours (three full days of no fever without use of fever-reducing medications) AND
• Other symptoms have improved (for example, when cough or shortness of breath have improved) AND
• At least seven days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
“Remember, the virus can’t move if you don’t!” relayed Allamakee County Public Health officials in a released statement. “Let’s do what we can to keep Allamakee as safe as possible.”
