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A news release on the latest numbers notes that while there are a wide range of symptoms — from cough and headache to muscle aches and chest pain — about one in 20 local residents who have tested positive report no symptoms at all, based the most recent data.
“Viruses need to find people in order to spread. It’s really that simple,” County Health Officer Teresa Frankovich said in the release. “I’d encourage county residents to continue staying home as much as possible. For people who can’t stay home, wearing facial coverings, maintaining physical distancing and avoiding gatherings are the best prevention tools we have. Avoiding non-essential travel is also critically important. If we can interrupt transmission from one person to another, we can drastically reduce the spread of COVID in our community.”
“Viruses need to find people in order to spread. It’s really that simple,” County Health Officer Teresa Frankovich said in the release. “I’d encourage county residents to continue staying home as much as possible. For people who can’t stay home, wearing facial coverings, maintaining physical distancing and avoiding gatherings are the best prevention tools we have. Avoiding non-essential travel is also critically important. If we can interrupt transmission from one person to another, we can drastically reduce the spread of COVID in our community.”
The release states that cases have increased by 7.27 percent since last Monday, with the 20-29 age group having the largest weekly increase at 11 new infections.
The county COVID alert level — which runs on a scale of 1 to 4 — remains at 3. Level 3 is described as: "High risk — many cases with conditions for community spread, with many undetected cases likely. Limit everyday activities to increase safety."
To date, the county has seen 17 hospitalizations and four fatalities, all of them residents at Alder Bay Assisted Living. One hundred and eight-nine of the cases are considered recovered, while the rest remain active.
Humboldt County Public Health is urging residents who aren't experiencing symptoms to get tested free of charge at the mobile testing site at Redwood Acres Fairgrounds. (People experiencing symptoms should contact a healthcare provider, officials say.) Asymptomatic individuals can make an appointment to be tested by visiting https://Lhi.care/covidtesting or calling (888) 634-1123. Tests will be administered free of charge, whether or not people have health insurance.
Basics of COVID-19
The California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control, state that symptoms of novel coronavirus include cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or at least two of the following: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or a new loss of taste or smell.
Emergency warning signs needing immediate medical attention include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to awaken, and bluish lips or face.
In an emergency situation:
Call ahead to the emergency room or inform the 911 operator of the possibility of a COVID-19 infection and, if possible, put on a face mask.
Symptoms or possible exposure:
In the case of a possible exposure with symptoms — fever and cough or shortness of breath — contact your doctor’s office or the county Department of Health and Human Services, which has a hotline that can be reached during business hours at covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or at (707) 441-5000. Residents seeking medical advice or questions about testing are asked to contact Public Health at hhsphb@co.humbldt.ca.us or at (707) 445-6200.
St. Joseph Health has also set up a virtual assessment tool as an aid to assess risk factors for contracting the illness, which can be found at here.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has started a rumor-control webpage that can be found here.
For the Journal's latest COVID stories, updates and information resources, click here.
Read the county's release below and view its case dashboard here:
Humboldt County’s COVID-19 case count now stands at 236.
A total of three new cases have been reported since Friday. Daily, weekly and monthly data sets on the Humboldt County COVID-19 Data Dashboard have been updated to reflect the most recent information available.
Some highlights include:
- Cases have increased by 7.27 percent since last Monday. The case doubling time is 46 days.
- The 20-29 age group represented the largest weekly increase in cases with 11 new infections reported.
- The cumulative rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 residents is 174, lower than the state rate of 1,275 and 1,419 cases per 100,000 residents nationally.
- The mean age of all local cases is 38.
Symptoms of COVID-19 range from cough and headache to muscle aches and chest pain. However, about one in 20 local individuals who have tested positive report no symptoms at all, according to the most recent data.
Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said because a person can’t necessarily tell when someone has COVID, physical distancing, facial coverings and not gathering with those who live outside of one’s household are even more important.
“Viruses need to find people in order to spread. It’s really that simple,” Dr. Frankovich said. “I’d encourage county residents to continue staying home as much as possible. For people who can’t stay home, wearing facial coverings, maintaining physical distancing and avoiding gatherings are the best prevention tools we have. Avoiding non-essential travel is also critically important. If we can interrupt transmission from one person to another, we can drastically reduce the spread of COVID in our community.”
Today’s alert level stands at three or level orange.
Visit humboldtgov.org/dashboard to view the county’s Alert Level Assessment tool. For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or during business hours by contacting covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or calling 707-441-5000.
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