McLean County Health Department is reporting 167 new cases of COVID-19 bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases in McLean County to 5675. Following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, beginning November 6, 2020 and going forward, IDPH and the McLean County Health Department are reporting confirmed cases and probable cases combined. A confirmed case is laboratory confirmed via molecular test. A probable case meets clinical criteria AND is epidemiologically linked or has a positive antigen test. If a probable case is later confirmed, the case will be deduplicated and will only be counted once.
At this time 1034 individuals are isolating at home. Ten McLean County residents are hospitalized due to COVID with zero currently in Intensive Care. There are 4590 individuals that have been released from isolation and are considered recovered.
There have been 41 COVID-related deaths in McLean County.
More than 110,000 tests have been resulted for a cumulative positivity rate of 5.1%. The rolling 7-day positivity rate is 9.2% through 11/9/2020.
We continue to see an increase in new cases and our positivity rate. The McLean County Health Department will continue to work diligently to follow-up with those who test positive, however if you test positive for COVID-19 do not wait to hear from the Health Department to begin your isolation. Please stay home and isolate yourself away from others. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. In the home, anyone sick or infected should separate themselves from others by staying in a specific “sick room” or area and using a separate bathroom (if available). Start making a contact list for “close contacts” that you have been around 48 hours prior to symptom onset or when you were tested. Let your contacts know that they may have been exposed. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 but continue to have no symptoms you still need to isolate. People with no symptoms (asymptomatic) can spread the virus to others.
If you think or know you have COVID-19 stay home and isolate. You cannot test out of isolation. You can be around others after:
- 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
- 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
- Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving**Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation
If you have been within six feet of a confirmed COVID-19 case for a total of at least 15 minutes, please self-quarantine at home away from others for 14 days after the last contact with the case and monitor for symptoms of COVID-19. If you are being tested for COVID-19, please self-isolate at home away from others. Even if you test negative after being a close contact to someone with COVID-19 you still should complete the entire 14 days of quarantine. It can take between several days after exposure to develop symptoms of COVID-19.
Contact tracing is an important tool in limiting transmission and preventing further spread of the virus, however it is most effective when combined with other prevention measures and methods of infection control in the community. We can all take simple precautions to help us proactively reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 such as washing our hands, watching our distance, and wearing our face coverings.
A cloth face covering can help prevent a person who is sick from spreading the virus to others. COVID-19 can also be spread by people who do not have symptoms (asymptomatic) and do not know that they are infected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends for everyone to wear cloth face coverings in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household and to practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people). Face coverings remain one of the most effective tools we have available to us to slow the spread, particularly when used universally in a community setting. The mask you wear protects others, and the mask they are wearing protects you.
Public health efforts are greatly reliant upon individuals acting responsibly and taking actions that evidence shows will protect them and those around them. If we all are vigilant in avoiding large gatherings, maintaining social distance, practicing basic hygiene practices, and wearing a face covering we can lessen the impact of this virus, save lives, and move our community forward.
[McLean County Health Department Press Release 11.10.20]
