UPDATE ON COVID-19: MIAMI COUNTY STATUS ORANGE
From Miami County's Dr. Christi Redmon:
Recently, Miami County has been designated as "orange" using a color-coded map from the ISDH to help inform local decision making to slow the spread of Covid-19. The cases and positivity rate in Miami County reflect medium to high community spread. Indiana has experienced a sudden increase in cases overall in many counties.
The basic features of this pandemic have not changed: the coronavirus is very contagious and some high-risk vulnerable individuals will have a poor outcome with infection. The need for re-opening of our schools and businesses is great, but that comes with more responsibility on the individual's part to lower the rate of spread when we do re-open.
There is fatigue with this pandemic, but we shouldn't lower our guard. ISDH has proposed an acronym to remind us of available tools that can lower the rate of spread. "SMASH" which stands for Social distancing, Mask wearing, Avoid crowds, Stay home if you are sick, and Hand washing are areas that everyone can do. Wearing a mask can lower the transmission rate inside, but trying to stay 6 feet away from others for more than 15 minutes accumulatively keeps us out of the "close contact" definition where we would likely acquire the infection. These things can be very important as we try to protect others, and not just live without concern of what this infection can do to vulnerable individuals.
The coronavirus vaccine likely is around the corner, but it is helpful to have an optimistic and hopeful outlook for this at present and do what we can now. Living our lives differently to combat transmission can be done during this pandemic. Please get a flu vaccine if you haven't. If you are having inside events, there is good evidence that increasing ventilation and having outside air circulating whenever possible can lessen exposure.
If you have been exposed and identified as a close contact, get tested and wait at home until the 14 -day quarantine guidelines have been met. If you test positive, please answer the phone when the state's contact tracing system caller calls so they can quickly give guidance to others that you may have exposed to reduce the spread. A negative test does not eliminate the 14-day quarantine standard as false negative results occur.
Dr. Christi Redmon
Health Officer
