Colorado\u2019s first confirmed cases<\/p>\n
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced Thursday that the state had its first confirmed cases of COVID-19. Friday, the state announced that eight people had diagnosed with COVID-19, all on the Front Range.<\/p>\n
The first was a man in his 30s visiting from out-of-state who had contact with a known case of COVID-19 outside of Colorado, according to a news release. The state said it was proceeding as if the case was officially confirmed, but the results would still be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation.<\/p>\n
The man was recovering in isolation in the Denver metro area until cleared by public health officials, and the state health department is working with local public health officials to identify anyone who might have been exposed while the person was infectious, the news release said.<\/p>\n
Denver Public Health & Environment warned that the number of people testing positive is expected to rise since the Centers for Disease Control is now allowing providers to test patients on their own without help from county health departments.<\/p>\n
There were zero confirmed cases in Archuleta, Montezuma and La Plata counties as of Friday afternoon, according to San Juan Basin and Montezuma County public health departments.<\/p>\n
Southwest Memorial Hospital and the Montezuma County Health Department have protocols in place for preventing and responding to COVID-19, officials said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a rapidly evolving situation,\u201d said Marc Meyer, director of Pharmacy Services and Infection Control for Southwest Health System. We want people to be aware that SHS continues to work to provide the care our community needs in the event we start seeing cases in our area.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hospital works with the Centers for Disease Control and state and county health departments on suspected cases of COVID-19. If a case is suspected, a specimen would be sent to the Colorado Department of Health and Environment to be tested.<\/p>\n If confirmed as COVID-19, SHS will coordinate with the health department on quarantine measures for the patient, Meyer said. The health department will conduct further investigations on who else may have been potentially exposed and take appropriate action.<\/p>\n If a patient shows symptoms of respiratory illness, SHS can test to rule out the flu. Other factors for a suspected coronavirus case include whether a patient has a travel history from an area where there are a lot of cases.<\/p>\n SHS asks that you call ahead if you have a fever, cough, and shortness of breath, so your health care provider can prepare for your arrival. Special areas will be set up to isolate the patient.<\/p>\n Health officials warn that once the corona virus is detected in a community, numbers can increase quickly.<\/p>\n Updates are regularly posted on the SHS Facebook<\/a> page and website<\/a>. The SHS email is contact@swhealth.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n The city of Cortez is preparing to possibly take action, but will let the county Public Health Department take the lead, said City Manager John Dougherty. Staff are collaborating with Southwest Memorial Hospital, posting the hospital\u2019s public service announcement online, and the council will hear a presentation by the Public Health Department at their March 10 meeting.<\/p>\n Dougherty said that for now he\u2019s postponing a conversation with council about how the outbreak should be handled if it worsens \u2013 for example, if all non-essential personnel would be asked to stay home and if city facilities would need to be closed.<\/p>\n \u201cMostly wash your hands and don\u2019t panic,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin said precautions are also being taken regarding the threat of COVID-19 in the county jail.<\/p>\n If an inmate is suspected for the virus, jail officials will coordinate with the county health department for appropriate action including transport to Southwest Memorial for further testing, Nowlin said.<\/p>\n Also, patrol cars are being regularly wiped down with sanitizer. Law enforcement, jail staff and inmates have been informed of the potential threat and procedures.<\/p>\n The close quarters at the La Plata County Jail are ripe for disease to spread, said Capt. Ed Aber, the jail\u2019s top administrator with the La Plata County Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime somebody has a common cold in the jail, there\u2019s a lot of people who get the common cold,\u201d he said. \u201cIf somebody gets the flu, there\u2019s a great potential of that spreading to employees and inmates.\u201d<\/p>\n First steps of avoiding an outbreak in the jail are to identify where people have been before they\u2019re booked, Aber said. If anyone is sick when they\u2019re booked in the jail, that individual will be put into isolation to avoid contact with others.<\/p>\n Local schools are also reminding families to take proper precautions. On March 3, the Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 posted on social media that staff were in communication with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the local health department.<\/p>\n \u201cThe district will continue with our school health plan and prevention practices including sending students home who are not feeling well, reminding students and staff to wash their hands often and cover their mouth if they sneeze or cough, and regularly disinfecting schools during and after school hours,\u201d the post says.<\/p>\n The district also asks that students remain at home when sick. They cited guidelines from Children\u2019s Hospital Colorado<\/a> for when children should be kept home. Children exhibiting mild respiratory or cold symptoms (like a stuffy nose or mild cough) can go to school, but students with high fever or who are vomiting or exhibiting \u201cflu-like\u201d symptoms should stay home.<\/p>\n Carol Huser, a medical doctor and forensic pathologist of more than 30 years, was already thinking about returning to Durango from Florida. If COVID-19 spreads farther through the United States, she might return sooner, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the smaller the population, the better,\u201d Huser said.<\/p>\n Proximity to other people is the biggest factor in the spread of a virus, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe farther you distance yourself from other people \u2026 the fewer people you\u2019re around, the better,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you never get within 10 feet of another person, you\u2019re not going to catch a virus at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Experts still do not know as much as they would like about COVID-19.<\/p>\n Virus behavior depends on the virus, Huser said. Experts are still learning about rates of infection, rates of lethality, likelihood of spreading the virus before showing symptoms and the effectiveness of antiviral drugs.<\/p>\n They do not yet know how far the virus travels after a sneeze or cough, or if the virus would interact differently in a high-altitude, semi-arid climate versus other climates.<\/p>\n Some viruses\u2019 ability to infect people seems to be affected by heat and humidity, but no one knows if that\u2019s true yet for the new coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2.<\/p>\n Overall, Huser urged people not to panic. But people of all ages should take it seriously and stay home if they are sick.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you do get it and you\u2019re young and healthy and get over it, great,\u201d Huser said. \u201cBut you still could affect your parents, grandparents \u2026 that might not be as strong as you.\u201d<\/p>\n The CDC<\/a> said coronaviruses, a name that simply refers to the shape of the virus, have poor survivability on surfaces and there is likely a low risk of spread from products or packaging.<\/p>\n After numerous people who attended a Buddhist temple in Hong Kong fell ill, samples from restroom faucets and other surfaces tested positive for coronavirus, according to a New York Times<\/a> article.<\/p>\n