by Cheryl Alexander, Administrator Daviess County Health Department
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Find out how to advertise here - Email us! [email protected]
Find out how to advertise here - Email us! [email protected]
I have had many people ask what is “contact tracing” and why does the health department need to know who a positive COVID-19 person has been around. When we have a positive COVID-19 case that person is quarantined for 10 days but anyone they have had a close contact to is quarantined for 14 days. For COVID-19, a close contact is anyone who was within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes. An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting from 48 hours (or two days) before the person has any symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19.
Why is it important for me to stay home if I am quarantined? Isolation helps slow the spread of COVID-19 and can help keep your family, friends, neighbors, and others healthy.
Often, we see a close contact have symptoms and become positive within 2-14 days. This starts the contact tracing all over again if that person has not stayed home as requested.
The health department will call all close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case given to us. Please do the best you can to cooperate with my nurses and other staff. They are simply doing their job to help protect the community.
This is not pleasant for many families and places a hardship on some families if they cannot go to work. Remember this is not just about us, it is about others and how easily this virus can spread as we have seen over the past few weeks since our county has jumped from 30 cases to over 90 in a very short time.
Even though not everyone needs to be tested, it is important to get tested to rule out COVID-19 if you are symptomatic. If you do get tested, you and your close contacts should self-quarantine/isolate at home pending test results and follow the advice of your health care provider or a public health professional.
The best way to stop the spread is to distance at least six feet, wash your hands or sanitize often, do not touch your face, and wear a mask especially if you cannot distance or if it is requested by a business. That business is trying to protect their employees.
Please do not gather together in large crowds that cannot socially distance. Please call the health department if you have any questions. Our mission is to keep our community safe and healthy. 660-663-2414.