Calhoun County confirms first COVID-19 positive case

In a Friday morning release made by Calhoun County Public Health, a positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in a county resident. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, the individual was diagnosed and is hospitalized outside of the county.

The individual, according to coronavirus.iowa.gov., is an older adult between 45 and 64 years of age. So far, 85 people have been tested in Calhoun County.

In Iowa, there are nearly 7,900 positive cases of COVID-19 out of nearly 45,600 tests. While there have been 170 recorded deaths, nearly 2,900 people have recovered from the novel coronavirus.

The first case of COVID-19 within Calhoun County’s lines is part of a recent spike in positive cases, as Sac County encountered its first confirmed case on Thursday alongside new positive cases in Webster County and Carroll County. This spike is related to the rise of tests conducted throughout the state.

“We encourage all residents to continue to make prevention a priority,” said Barb Riley, the Director of Calhoun County Public Health.

These preventative actions include washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm, staying home when ill.

According to the release, approximately 80 percent of Iowans infected with COVID-19 will experience only a mild to moderate illness. Most mildly ill Iowans do not need to go to their healthcare provider or be tested to confirm they have COVID-19.

Therefore, Iowans must stay home and isolate themselves from others in their house. They are advised to stay home and isolate from others in the house until there is no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers) and other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved).

Also, there must be a period of least seven days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.

If you believe that you may need healthcare, please call your provider first. That will allow the provider to decide whether you need to be seen at the office or if you can recover at home.