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A Third Confirmed Case of COVID-19 in Southwest Nebraska

Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) has been notified of an additional person from SWNPHD’s health district that have tested positive for COVID-19.
New cases include:
• One Furnas County resident – A man in his 20s who is currently self-isolating.

Contact investigations are underway to identify people who came into close contact to help prevent further spread. All identified close contacts will self-quarantine and be actively monitored daily by public health officials for fever and respiratory symptoms.
COVID-19 is active in the communities of southwest Nebraska and not related to any specific location. SWNPHD recommends everyone practice the same protective measures when they go to any location outside their own home.

Certain people are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 including older adults and people of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, including:
People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
People who have serious heart conditions
People who are immunocompromised. Many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, or organ transplantation.
People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher)
People with diabetes
People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis
People with liver disease

For general information on COVID-19 call the DHHS hotline at 402-552-6645, or visit the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services website at http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx.

For more information on COVID-19 in southwest Nebraska, visit www.swhealth.ne.gov. You can also follow SWNPHD on Facebook and Twitter. SWNPHD serves Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock, Keith, Perkins and Red Willow counties. SWNPHD is located at 404 West 10th St (1 block north of Arby’s) in McCook or at 501 Broadway in Imperial (5th St. entrance).

What to do if you think you are sick:
Self-isolate – Stay at home and limit contact with other members of your household. Most individuals who become ill will have mild to moderate symptoms that can be treated at home with pain and fever reducers like acetaminophen (Tylenol). It is the most helpful to remain at home and avoid spreading the virus to others.
Household members who live with someone who is suspected to have COVID-19 should self-quarantine, which means staying at home and not having visitors. Limit time spent within 6 feet of the sick person to ten minutes or less and disinfect surfaces frequently.
For those who experience more severe symptoms, call ahead to your medical provider so they can ensure the safety of medical staff and other patients and put proper protocols in place to reduce the risk of spreading illness to others prior to your arrival.
What to do when you are well again:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided the following guidance to know when to end self-isolation and quarantine.
Self-isolation ends when it has been at least 7 days since symptoms first appeared AND no fever for at least 72 hours (3 full days of no fever without fever reducing medicine) AND all other symptoms have improved (e.g., cough has improved).
After home isolation ends, all members of the household should continue quarantine for 7 days after the sick person has been released from isolation AND then continue 7 more days with self-monitoring for symptoms.
For general information on COVID-19 call the DHHS hotline at 402-552-6645, or visit the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services website at http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx.

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