(Updated) Two Grays Harbor County residents under investigation for COVID-19

Update as of March 11, 2020:

On March 3 we reported that two Grays Harbor County residents were being tested for COVID-19. Those results have come back negative.

Moving forward, Grays Harbor Public Health will no longer be reporting numbers on “persons under investigation” (i.e. persons being tested).

In recent days, commercial labs have gained the ability to test for COVID-19. However, commercial labs are not required to go through the same testing notification process as the Public Health Laboratory in Shoreline. As a result, Grays Harbor Public Health is not notified about all of the tests for COVID-19 being conducted on our residents, just a portion of them.

The decision of whether or not to test for COVID-19 is one made by the patient’s healthcare provider.

Grays Harbor Public Health will continue to be notified of any confirmed cases of COVID-19 among Grays Harbor County residents, regardless of which lab did the test, and Grays Harbor Public Health will report confirmed cases. At this time, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Grays Harbor County.

For more information about testing in Washington State, please visit https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/NovelCoronavirusOutbreak2020/TestingforCOVID19.

For the latest COVID-19 case counts in Washington State, please visit: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus

Original post on March 3, 2020:

There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Grays Harbor County.  At the time of this writing, two Grays Harbor County residents are under investigation for the novel coronavirus and will be tested for COVID-19. Local public health officials are working with health care providers and close contacts of the individuals to control the spread of the virus.

 The COVID-19 situation in Washington State is evolving rapidly and there is now evidence that the virus is spreading in communities.

 Public health officials believe that there will likely be an increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases as testing becomes more readily available. The most current information about the number of cases in Washington State is available on the Washington State Department of Health’s 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak (COVID-19) webpage (doh.wa.gov/coronavirus).

 You can take action and make plans to stay healthy and slow the spread of respiratory infections like influenza or COVID-19. By slowing the spread of respiratory infections, communities can reduce the overall number of cases, the number of people who experience complications, and reduce the likelihood that school, business, and health care will be disrupted because many people are ill at one time.

 Actions you can take now include:

·         Stay home when you are sick.

·         Stay away from people who are sick with a fever and cough.

·         Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.

·         Cover your coughs and sneezes. Throw out used tissues and wash your hands.

·         Avoid touching your mouth and eyes.

·         Get a flu shot.

·         Make plans for what you might do if your child’s school closes.

·         Find out your options for sick leave or working remotely if you need to stay home, or care for someone at home.

·         Talk with your neighbors and make a plan to help one another if one of you gets sick and stays at home, such as dropping groceries off at the doorstep.

 We are not recommending the use of face masks by people who are not sick as a means of avoiding infection from novel coronavirus. It is important to keep in mind that people wear masks for a variety of reasons, including to avoid pollen and air pollution, as a courtesy to others when they have the common cold, and for other cultural and even social reasons.  Because mask use is customary in some cultures, it’s not appropriate to make assumptions about why someone is wearing a mask or to stigmatize or discriminate against people who choose to wear masks.

 If the spread of COVID-19 continues, health officials may consider other strategies – like canceling large public events – to keep people away from each other to slow the spread of the virus.

For more information

• CDC: cdc.gov/coronavirus (includes guidance for businesses, schools, individuals and families)

• Washington State Department of Health: doh.wa.gov/coronavirus

• Washington State Department of Health call center for general coronavirus questions: 1-800-525-0127, press #