By Brett Milam
Editor
Clermont County currently has 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with two resulting in hospitalizations, and six cases of patients recovering, as of March 31.
The age range is between 23 and 78, according to Clermont County Public Health.
Julianne Nesbit, health commissioner for CCPH, said if a person is released from isolation, they are no longer considered infectious, so there is no additional monitoring of that case.
“Persons can be released from isolation after a minimum of seven days and 72 hours after being symptom-free with no medication,” she said. “Close contacts may continue ongoing monitoring for 14 days past the date of last contact with an ill individual.”
It’s still not clear what post-COVID-19 life looks like yet, in terms of being immune or any possible lasting damage.
“The immune response, including duration of immunity, to SARS-CoV-2 infection is not yet understood,” Nesbit said. “Patients with MERS-CoV are unlikely to be re-infected shortly after they recover, but it is not yet known whether similar immune protection will be observed for patient with COVID-19.”
Nesbit is relying on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s known information so far, available online.
Likewise, Nesbit said we do not know enough at this time to determine if there will be any long-term side effects after someone contracts and recovers from COVID-19, like damage to the lungs or some other effect.
Nesbit also said for privacy reasons, she could not release any information on whether the two patients who required hospitalization had any underlying condition and/or what their current status is as of March 31.
Overall, Ohio has 2,199 confirmed cases, with 198 ICU admissions, 585 hospitalizations, and 55 deaths. The age range is between one and 99, with the average age of 53.
CCPH hosting another donation day
Like much of the nation and state, CCPH is collecting donations of personal protective equipment. After a successful donation effort on March 26, Keith Robinson, spokesperson for CCPH, said the department decided to do another one on April 2.
The donation day will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at CCPH’s Permit Central office, located at 2275 Bauer Road in Batavia.
“The supply of personal protective equipment is critically low in our region and across the country. All donations collected will be redistributed to hospitals, healthcare facilities and local first responders,” Robinson said.
Some of the needed items are:
– N95 masks.
– Face shields.
– Disposable gowns.
– Surgical masks.
– Surgical masks with incorporated eye splash protection.
– Hand sanitizer.
– Disinfectant wipes.
– Disinfectant sprays.
– Vinyl gloves.
In particular, Robison said Grant Career Center in Bethel played a big part of that donation effort due to the equipment they had available to donate from their career programs.
The drop-off location is drive-through and is exempt from the stay-at-home order. If an individual can’t make the allotted donation time, they can call 513-732-7499 to make alternative arrangements.
For more information, visit ccphohio.org.
Reminder of symptoms; what to do if sick
COVID-19 spreads primarily through respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing, Nesbit said. Symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
To prevent community spread, Nesbit recommends people to:
– Stay at home, if you’re sick.
– Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
– Cover your cough or sneeze.
– Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, frequently.
– Practice social distancing by trying to maintain six feet of separation from others when in public places.
If someone is sick or exhibiting symptoms, they are encouraged to call a doctor first before coming into an urgent care or hospital.
Resources to stay informed
To receive email updates from the CDC, go here.
Johns Hopkins database.