Current Activity: There are currently 27 reported actively ill Union County residents. This is a significant increase in active cases over previous weeks. One additional hospitalization was also reported over the weekend. This additional hospitalization brings our total hospitalizations reported since Jun. 29 to 4. No additional deaths have been reported since the first death reported on May 28. Currently, public health is assisting 56 individuals identified as close contacts who have been instructed to self-quarantine and monitor for symptoms. To date, roughly 9.5% of identified contacts have become ill with COVID-19.
To see an in-depth look at our cumulative data, please take a look at this week’s update from our epidemiologists. 07-14-2020 Epi Update
Level 2 Public Health Alert: Governor DeWine issued a Level 2 Public Health Alert for Union County on Thursday, July 09. The alert levels are reviewed and issued each Thursday by the Governor’s office. The intent of the Public Health Alert System is to provide an early warning system for individuals, businesses, and communities to help inform personal and community level decisions. The system is based on 7 current surveillance indicators. The lowest level alerts (Level 1 and Level 2), are designed to indicate a low or moderate risk for exposure within a community. The Level 2 alert is issued when 2-3 of the 7 indicators are triggered. The most typical triggers for a move from a Level 1 to a Level 2 alert are sustained increases (over at least a 5 day period of time) in new cases of illness and the majority of new cases are in non-congregate settings.
In context of the Level 2 Public Health Alert, when we look at our locally available data, we have seen an increase in new cases and hospitalizations during the past two weeks in comparison to previous weeks. From July 05-June 22, 14 new cases were reported (individuals with current infections) and 3 new hospitalizations. In comparison, from June 22-June 08, 08 new cases were reported (individuals with current infection) and no hospitalizations were reported. To date, only 3 of all reported cumulative cases have occurred within a congregate setting (prison or long-term care facilities).
The Level 2 alert is intended to raise awareness within the community that we are currently seeing increased COVID-19 activity within our community. Individuals, businesses, and community partners should continue to encourage social distancing and face coverings as much as possible in the work place and public spaces. Individuals are urged to avoid crowds and stay home when sick and talk with their doctor if the illness is different than what an individual typically sees (such as allergies). Frequent and thorough hand washing is also urged. To support our local businesses, please respect their requests for social distancing and face coverings within each individual place of business.
Cumulative Case Count Summary: The Union County Health Department is reporting 118 cumulative cases of COVID-19 as of 5pm on July 14. 97 of the reported cases are lab confirmed and 21 are probable per epidemiological link or clinical diagnosis (9 of the 21 probable cases are positive antibody tests that meet the epidemiological or clinical requirements). 90 of the cumulative cases are categorized as released from isolation and no longer infectious. 27 individuals are considered current active infections and isolated during the infectious period. 1 COVID-19 associated death has been reported. Hospitalization has been required for 9 individuals during the course of their illness, 7 individuals have shown no symptoms. 88% of cases have reported mild illness (able to manage symptoms at home), 5% reported moderate illness (required hospitalization), 3% reported severe illness (required ICU care, intubation, or died as a result of their illness), and 4% were asymptomatic (had no symptoms during infectious period).
The age range is <1 to 89 years with an average age of 39. The 20-29 and 30-39 age groups compose the highest percentage of total cases. The illness onset ranges from Jan. 13 to Jul. 12, 2020. 50.8% of cases are female and 49.2% are male. More than 50% of cases reported no underlying medical conditions.44% of cases had an unknown source of exposure, 31% were close contacts of a confirmed case, 13% had travel related exposure, 7% had likely occupational exposure (healthcare workers, first responders, prisons), 5% of cases are linked to an identified outbreak cluster.