NEWPORT, Ore. – The Oregon Health Authority announced Tuesday, March 24, Lincoln County’s first presumptive positive case of COVID-19. The new case brings Oregon’s total to 209 cases. https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19 Lincoln County is in close coordination with Oregon Health Authority (OHA) about these cases. Test results are now coming from multiple laboratories and are delivered electronically to providers, counties, and OHA throughout the day. As a result, some counties may release county data sooner than it is reported on the Oregon Health Authority website. healthoregon.org/coronavirus. The person is over the age of 55 and is hospitalized outside of Lincoln County. The individual had no known contact with a confirmed case, and had not traveled from a country where the virus is circulating, so the case is being investigated as a community-acquired case. “I can only imagine the concern among the family and friends of this person. My concerns and positive thoughts go out to the patient and his/her family; may he/she have a speedy recovery.” said David Long, M.D., Health Officer for Lincoln County. The Public Health system as well as Samaritan Health Services are on high alert and geared up to care for all patients who are affected by the Coronavirus.” “I’m asking you, as my neighbors and as my community, to keep this individual and their loved ones in your thoughts. let us all do what we can to keep our health system strong and minimize the number of other people who must go through this.” Health officials continue to urge all Oregonians to take steps to protect those who are most vulnerable to complications from COVID-19. Those considered “high risk” include adults 60 and older, or anyone with a serious health condition, including lung or heart problems, kidney disease, or diabetes, or anyone who has a suppressed immune system. People vulnerable to complications should follow federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to stay home as much as possible and avoid gatherings. Every community member should take these basic steps to protect those most at risk: Never visit a hospital or long-term-care facility if you have a fever or cough. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces like bathrooms, desks, countertops, doorknobs, computer keyboards, faucet handles, toys and cell phones. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. Stay home and away from others if you are ill. The COVID-19 virus spreads like the flu, when someone who is sick coughs or sneezes close to another person (close means about six feet). After someone contracts COVID-19, illness usually develops within 14 days. Symptoms include fever and cough or difficult breathing. As testing capacity increases — with Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics online, and clinical laboratories at some Oregon hospitals expected to begin testing by next week — officials expect the number of people who test positive with COVID-19 to rise. “We are not talking anymore about stopping the spread of this virus,” Dr. Long said. “Without a vaccine and without medicine, our best bet as a community is to slow the spread so those who do get seriously ill can get the care they need from our health system.”
