Montgomery County COVID-19 Update for Saturday March 14th

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX -- Montgomery County Public Health District, in conjunction with the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management, can confirm Montgomery County’s fourth positive test of COVID-19. The woman, who is in her 40s, is a resident of Northwest Montgomery County. Her case is connected to Montgomery County’s third case, announced on Thursday, March 12th. She is currently in isolation at her home and does not require hospitalization at this time.

The other Montgomery County cases are:

Case # 1 – A man, in his 40s, who is a resident of Northwest Montgomery County. He did not travel outside of Texas. We also confirmed that he did attend the BBQ Cookoff related to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on February 28th. Montgomery County Public Health District was notified on March 12th that his condition had declined, and he is now in critical condition. We can also confirm that his case is connected to a presumptive positive case of a woman in her 30s who resides in Galveston County, although she is currently located in the Austin area.

Case # 2 – A woman, in her 40s, who resides in Southeast Montgomery County. Travel to New Orleans. She is currently in critical condition in a hospital in Harris County.

Case # 3 - A man, in his 40s, who resides in Northwest Montgomery County. His only travel is to the State of Florida. He was initially in isolation at home but is now in good condition in a hospital in Montgomery County.

We have not yet received CDC confirmation on these cases. At this point, we are trying to mitigate the spread of this virus in the community. Non-pharmaceutical interventions like hand-washing, disinfecting surfaces around your home, and staying home when you are sick are the most important response strategies. At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19, and no medications approved to treat it.

The Texas Department of State Health Services is urging health care professionals to ask patients with respiratory symptoms about their travel history and contact their local or regional health department if they think a patient may have COVID-19. DSHS is working with local health departments to monitor and assess people with recent, relevant travel history and others with related symptoms for possible COVID-19 testing.

All travelers who have returned from flagged countries should stay home and monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days. They should consult with a health care provider if they develop fever, cough or shortness of breath within that period. Local health departments across the state are in contact daily with returned travelers and those connected to current COVID-19 cases to verify that they remain symptom-free.

Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others within about six feet through respiratory droplets released into the air by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands; touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands; and rarely, fecal contamination.

Patients with confirmed 2019-nCoV infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath. The CDC believes that symptoms of 2019-nCoV may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure.

If you are a healthcare provider, be on the look-out for people who have fever and respiratory symptoms. If you are a healthcare provider caring for a COVID-19 patient or a public health responder, please take care of yourself and follow recommended infection control procedures. If you have potentially been exposed to someone sick with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, you will face some limitations on your movement and activity. Cooperation is integral to the ongoing public health response to try to slow spread of this virus. If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, contact your healthcare provider, and tell them about your symptoms and your travel or exposure to a COVID-19 patient before arriving to seek medical care.

The best way to prevent infection is to take precautions to avoid exposure to this virus, which are similar to the precautions you take to avoid the flu.

· Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
· Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
· Stay home when you are sick.
· Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
· Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

For more information, please see https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/.

Montgomery County Public Health District’s mission is promoting a healthy, resilient community through health education, disease prevention, clinical services, and emergency preparedness. For more information about the Montgomery County Public Health District please go to www.mcphd-tx.org.