Coronavirus cases have been surging in Lyon County for three weeks now, and current indications don’t show a slowdown at any time soon.
Since Oct. 26, Lyon County has added almost 550 total cases, or multiplying the overall caseload by almost a third. The active caseload jumped better than sixfold from 72 to 470 over that time. The number of cluster categories went from two — schools and higher education — to five, including gatherings, health care and long-term care.
Even eight months into the pandemic, there is still a lot of confusion about isolation and quarantine. Newman Regional Health Infection Preventionist Ester Knoblock says quarantine is a prevention strategy for people who have been exposed but haven’t developed symptoms or are healthy. Isolation, meanwhile, is for people who have been confirmed with the virus.
Testing lines at Flint Hills Community Health Center and Newman Regional Health have seen a lot of traffic over the past month. Newman Regional Health Infection Preventionist Ester Knobloch says there are a lot of “horror stories” about the sinus cavity swab that’s needed, but it’s not as bad as you might think.
Residents who think they need to be tested have to call their doctor — and if they don’t have a physician, they need to call Public Health at 620-208-3741 or go to Newman ExpressCare.
Both Lyon County and Greenwood County are changing their reporting schedules to three days per week, Monday-Wednesday-Friday, with Lyon County starting that today and Greenwood County starting last week. Also, Chase and Morris counties say they are now dealing with delays in positive test results from labs outside those counties. Chase County residents that have recently tested positive are asked to call 620-273-6377, while Morris County residents are asked to call 620-767-5175. Residents can also message the respective health departments on Facebook or email cgood@mrcohosp.com.
