Calhoun and Liberty County Announces New Positive COVID-19 Cases

Blountstown, Florida — Calhoun County received confirmation of two additional cases of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. The persons ill with the virus are 41 and 88-year-old females. This brings Calhoun County’s total COVID-19 cases to 8 and are residents of Altha and Blountstown.

Liberty County received confirmation of one additional case of COVID-19. The person ill with the virus is a 49- year-old female. Liberty County now has 3 total cases and are residents of Bristol and Hosford.

The Florida Department of Health in Calhoun and Liberty County (DOH-Calhoun/Liberty) is working closely with local nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to take proactive steps to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. Nursing home populations are at a higher risk of being affected by COVID-19 because residents are typically older or disabled adults often with underlying chronic medical conditions.

As of 10:30 AM CT on Wednesday, April 29, there is currently one long-term care facility in Calhoun County that has positive cases of COVID-19. The facility is Blountstown and Health Rehabilitative Center. The Florida Department of Health publishes the list at FloridaHealthCOVID19.gov.

The daily COVID-19 report also includes information by county about cases and deaths related to staff or residents in long-term care facilities. There is 1 resident and 2 staff members in long-term care facilities that have tested positive for COVID-19 in Calhoun County and are included in the total case count for each county. This report is also available at FloridaHealthCOVID19.gov.

Public health efforts now are focused concurrently on containing the spread of this virus and mitigating the impact of this virus. Contact tracing is frequently used during such efforts. Persons identified to be at-risk through the contact tracing process are interviewed, evaluated, and educated on their risk factors and what to do.

Measures to Support Long-Term Care Facilities

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that nursing homes:

Restrict all visitation except for certain compassionate care situations, such as end of life situations
Restrict all volunteers and non-essential healthcare personnel (HCP), including non-essential personal care providers (e.g., barbers)
Cancel all group activities and communal dining
Implement active screening of residents and HCP for fever and respiratory symptoms

DOH-Calhoun/Liberty monitors implementation of the CDC’s guidelines by facilitating daily communication and conducting readiness assessments with each Calhoun and Liberty County long-term care facility. The readiness assessments include an infection control evaluation, education of prevention measures and resources available to support prevention practices, and contact information for epidemiology and infection control specialists. These proactive steps improve long-term care facilities’ ability to:

Prevent the introduction of COVID-19 into the facility.
Identify infections early.
Mitigate the spread if infection occurs.
Assess the facility’s supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Initiate measures to optimize the supply of PPE.
Manage severe illness.

COVID-19 symptoms and treatment

The symptoms of COVID-19 can mirror illnesses such as influenza. Patients with COVID-19 typically display symptoms such as fever (100.4°F or higher), cough, and/or shortness of breath within 2 to 14 days of exposure to the virus. Approximately 80% of those affected with COVID-19 report mild to moderate illness and experience a complete recovery. Some experience more severe illness. People who are more vulnerable to the illness include individuals who are over age 65 with underlying health conditions, immunocompromised, ill or have underlying chronic health conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes.

Many cases of COVID-19 can be managed at home by treating symptoms, and this is encouraged. However, if you develop worsening symptoms, such as shortness of breath, chest pain, or inability to drink fluids, contact 911 and advise them of your symptoms as you may need treatment at a hospital.

COVID-19 overview, symptoms, and general prevention

COVID-19 is a new type of coronavirus; coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals. Other coronaviruses include the common cold and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). COVID-19 is believed to have emerged from an animal source and is now capable of spreading from person-to-person. There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19.

For more information

Please visit the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage at www.FloridaHealth.gov/COVID-19. This remains the best and most up-to-date resource for information and guidance regarding COVID-19 in Florida.

For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-866-779-6121 or emailing COVID-19@flhealth.gov. The Call Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. DOH-Calhoun and Liberty is also operating a call center in house and may be reached at 850-674-5645 or 850-643-2415. Please press 1 from the automated menu. The local call center is available from 7:30a.m.-4:00p.m, Monday-Friday.

In addition, please visit http://www.floridahealth.gov/all-county-locations.html to locate and obtain contact information for your local CHD.

The CDC also has a website with information related to COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.