Five virus cases are confirmed in county

As of shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday, the Virginia Department of Health’s online COVID-19 tracker reported five positive cases of coronavirus infection in Wise County.

Local government officials have previously placed two cases in Appalachia and a third in Big Stone Gap. However, the coalfield regional health department office had publicly confirmed only one case as of last weekend.

That office does not provide details on the location of positive cases, to preserve patients’ privacy.

CONFIRMED CASE

Dr. Eleanor Sue Cantrell of the health department confirmed a positive case, involving a man in his 70s, in a Saturday afternoon email. Cantrell was responding to a reporter’s inquiry about a rumored case mentioned on a local Facebook page.

The man is hospitalized, Cantrell wrote, adding, “Due to patient privacy, no further information about the patient will be disclosed by VDH.”

OTHER INFORMATION

Appalachia officials previously have stated that: A person in town had tested positive, was placed in quarantine March 30 and was later taken to Lonesome Pine Hospital; town emergency services personnel transported that person to the hospital emergency room; a total of three emergency services personnel are being quarantined at home; and Ballad Health notified the fire department Sunday that there was a second positive case involving a person the department transported to a hospital.

Also, a Mountain Empire Older Citizens employee has tested positive for the virus, Executive Director Michael Wampler confirmed Monday. He said the state health department notified the regional agency on aging of the test result.

In a Wednesday email, Wampler stated that the health department “has taken the lead and is providing guidance.” Wampler wrote that he does not anticipate releasing any additional information.

HEALTH DIRECTOR’S ADVICE

Official health department statistics on the spread of virus cases in Virginia can be found at http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/.

“It's important to understand that an individual's risk of exposure is NOT determined by the numbers and locations of cases or the details of investigations,” Cantrell noted in her Saturday statement. “Your risk of exposure is determined by your behavior. Regardless of the presence or absence of cases near you, it is critically important for your well-being to stay home as much as possible, and practice good personal precautions, including hygiene and distance.

“For confirmed cases of COVID-19, and with any communicable illness required to be reported to VDH, the health department does ‘contact tracing,’ to identify anyone who had contact with the patient, to assess their risk of potential exposure and to provide medical and public health measures to protect individuals and the community,” Cantrell continued. “That's the work we do every day.

“It's a mistake to assume your risk of exposure to COVID-19 is higher or lower merely because of where you are. We all should assume that COVID-19 is everywhere in Virginia, and protect ourselves accordingly.

“Personal precautions are how we protect ourselves, those around us and those who will be around us tomorrow and the day after that,” Cantrell wrote. “There is no absolutely safe place. There is only safe behavior.”

Cantrell reminds us that effective personal precautions include:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

• Stay home when you are sick.

• Avoid contact with sick people.

• If you are experiencing symptoms, call your doctor.

• Avoid close contact with crowds of any size, and avoid any crowd of 10 or more.

• Stay home as much as possible, except for essential travel.

Interim Editor Jeff Lester and Staff Writer Terran Young contributed to this story.