Monday’s COVID-19 data set from Lyon County Public Health underscored an announcement about virus traffic later in the day from the agency.
Public Health reported 201 new cases Monday, nearly matching the 209 cases Friday and adding to what Public Health calls an “exponential increase” in cases just this month, although caseloads have been increasing since Thanksgiving. In the four reporting periods this month, Lyon County has added 672 cases while active cases jumped from 283 to 481 Friday, declining to 480 in Monday’s report.
Deaths remain steady at 98 with four deaths awaiting final cause information from the state.
Shortly after releasing the raw data, Public Health Marketing Officer Justin Ogleby said the community spread, seen now after a return of traditional holiday gatherings, means it’s difficult to tell exactly where people are getting infected. The surge also means Public Health has to change its approach in alerting people who recently developed COVID-19:
*Public Health is now trying to reach positive cases but may not reach out to everybody, given the number of new cases.
*Suspected COVID-positive residents should reach out to close contacts themselves. Close contacts should quarantine for at least five days and then wear a mask for five more days afterward.
*Residents either awaiting COVID-19 test results or confirmed with COVID should monitor for symptoms, notably fever, cough and shortness of breath but also tiredness, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Residents with severe symptoms should call their primary care provider immediately and follow instructions, avoiding the doctor’s office or emergency room unless instructed. Residents in these categories should also stay from others, especially high-risk residents like older adults, children and people with other medical conditions.
Ogleby tells KVOE News the current spike resembles the county’s worst influx of COVID around Thanksgiving 2020, but this surge isn’t an exact comparison because isolation and quarantine policies have changed over time. In late 2020, residents had to quarantine or isolate for 14 days. Now residents can end isolation or quarantine in as little as five days, depending on their situation.
More information is available at www.publichealth.lyoncounty.org.
2:45 pm Monday: Active total dips from 481 to 480 with 201 new cases reported in Lyon County Monday
Lyon County Public Health’s first data report of the week showed the county’s first decrease in active cases in well over a week, however, it’s nothing to get excited about.
The active total decreased by one from 481 to 480 between Friday and Monday. Of those active cases, 141 are considered breakthroughs with Lyon County reporting a total of 753 collective breakthrough cases to date.
201 new cases were also reported putting the overall total at 7,372 since the start of the pandemic in late March of 2020. Deaths remain at 98 with the number of deaths awaiting final cause information from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment remaining unchanged at four.
Active hospitalizations remain at eight.
KVOE News Director Chuck Samples contributed to this report.
