During the weekly meeting of the Pettis County COVID-19 Task Force, the Pettis County Health Center reported an increase of 136 new cases of COVID-19 in the last week. As of Monday, January 18, there were 4,609 total positive cases compared to 4,473 on January 11.
Residents are being asked to monitor themselves and if they become ill to seek medical care, particularly if they are having difficulty breathing, notice a dusky color around lips or nail beds or are experiencing dizziness.
According to the Health Center, COVID disease can progress quickly and waiting too long to seek care can have serious consequences. For those at high risk of serious illness, monoclonal antibody therapy is available through Bothwell Regional Health Center. Please discuss your risk factors with your doctor to see if you are a candidate for this therapy. The therapy needs to be delivered before a person becomes seriously ill and should be considered as soon as possible after diagnosis.
Although the categories of people eligible to receive vaccine have expanded, there still is no vaccine available for people in the next categories at this time. The Health Center has a pre-registration process so we know how many people are interested in receiving the vaccine and we can set up appointments when the time comes. When vaccine is available, individuals who have been pre-registered will be notified of their appointment time. There will be a number of vaccination sites, so it will be important to check where each person is to receive vaccine.
The pre-registration form is available on the Pettis County Health Center website and we will also distribute paper copies in various areas of the county. We request people complete the form on line and email to pettisvaccine@gmail.com. The form will be signed at the time of vaccination. Forms may be returned by email or printed off and faxed to the Health Center at 660-827-1141, mailed to the Health Center at 911 E 16th Street or dropped off between 9 am and 4 pm. For those who do not have access to email or a paper form, you may call the Health Center at 660-827-1130 to register. Please be patient as there are limited phone lines available and we are continuing to do case investigation. We ask you use the form rather than calling providers multiple times.
For more information on vaccine in Missouri website www.covidvaccine.mo.gov is a good source of information. Information will be posted on Facebook, website, and other media as more vaccine becomes available.
Testing is available without cost in the community. People need to continue to be tested so those with the virus can isolate for 10 days to protect others. Exposed people need to continue to quarantine for 14 days.
New research is indicating that we do not need to be as focused on continual disinfecting of surfaces. There is no evidence of transmission from surfaces in normal conditions. Research in hospitals where COVID positive patients are being cared for has not been able to identify virus capable of causing disease. The best way to slow the spread of the virus continues to be wearing a mask, avoiding crowds and washing your hands. The original testing was done under laboratory conditions.
Mental health issues are a challenge during holidays in a normal year and can be worse during the isolation of a pandemic. If you know someone who is struggling with mental health issues, please share the information on help that is available. Burrell has a crisis line at 1-800-395-2132. Compass Health also has a crisis line at 1-800-237-4567 for substance abuse issue.