The Henderson County Health Department was notified on March 22 that a second Henderson County resident has tested positive for novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The individual is in isolation.
As with the initial case, public health staff have already initiated an investigation and will be identifying close contacts to contain the spread of disease. To protect individual privacy, no further information about the case will be released.
It is presumed that we are now experiencing community spread, and that the county will be learning of more positive cases in the days to come. The Henderson County Health Department will keep the public informed about additional cases that may arise.
Future confirmed cases will be reflected on www.hendersoncountync.gov/health which will be updated daily by 4:00pm.
It is important for the community to understand that the identification of these cases do not change local strategies for preventing and reducing the spread of disease. Above all else, please isolate yourself at home if you are sick. Coronavirus symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. If you experience these symptoms, please call your healthcare provider and follow their advice. If you are having a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 and inform the dispatcher that you have symptoms of COVID-19. Remember that 80% of coronavirus cases generate only mild symptoms.
Because COVID-19 is most commonly spread through respiratory droplets, the Health Department urges everyone to take precautions to protect themselves from the spread of all respiratory illness, including flu and COVID-19:
– Stay home when sick
– Avoid contact with persons that you know are sick
– Cover your cough (cough into the crook of your elbow; or use a tissue and throw in trash)
– Practice good hand hygiene (wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing)
– If you do not have access to soap and water use hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol
– Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces with household cleaners. Routine use of these measures by everyone will decrease the spread of viruses and respiratory diseases in our community.
It is important to make sure the information you are getting about COVID-19 is coming directly from reliable sources like the CDC, NCDHHS and Henderson County Public Health. For more information, call the North Carolina Coronavirus Hotline at 1-866-462-3821 (staffed by nurses and pharmacists 24/7), or visit the Center for Disease Control’s website for information and frequent updates at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.