Dare County reported six more COVID-19 positive test results today, bringing the two-day case total to 14. (See The Beacon post earlier today.)
Five of the new cases are young Dare County residents: two females age 17 or younger and two women and one man, between the ages of 25 and 49. All are in home isolation.
The sixth reported case is a non-resident man, ages 25-49, who has transferred to his home county for isolation.
The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Dare County is now 582, 317 locals and 265 nonresidents.
We believe the increase in the daily COVID-19 case count in Dare County is cause for alarm and wish the Dare County Dept. of Health and Human Services would enlighten us as to how testing is done locally and whether those who test positive are practicing the infection-control measures we all know—or not.
Exactly where—in what settings and circumstances—does DCDHHS believe the virus is spreading? Such information would serve the interest of public health far better than a daily case count.
COVID-19 may not be fatal to more than 0.5 to 1.0 percent of the people infected with SARS-CoV2—according to the World Health Organization—but death is not the only risk of a COVID-19 infection.
COVID-19 symptoms can persist for months, even among people who had mild versions of the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. The virus can damage the lungs, heart, and brain in anyone infected with it, posing the threat of long-term health problems.
See Mayo Clinic, “COVID-19 (coronavirus): Long-Term Effects,” at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-long-term-effects/art-20490351
COVID-19 does not yet have a sufficient track record for physicians to know what all of the long-term consequences of an infection may be.
Most people who have COVID-19 “recover quickly,” the Mayo Clinic says, “But the potentially long-lasting problems from COVID-19 make it even more important to reduce the spread of the disease by following precautions such as wearing masks, avoiding crowds and keeping hands clean.”
THE BEACON, 10/8/20
The Southern Shores Beacon 