Hays County reports 2 more confirmed cases of COVID-19

Hays County Epidemiologist Eric Schneider reported two more cases of coronavirus, COVID-19, in Hays County Monday — bringing the total of confirmed cases to three.

Hays County announced its first presumptive case of COVID-19 on Saturday. That was shortly followed by Hays County and the City of San Marcos issuing a joint State of Disaster declaration Sunday, after a 44-year-old county resident tested presumptively positive for COVID-19.

The second case was reported at about 1:30 p.m. Monday. The Hays County resident tested at a clinic and is under self-quarantine at home until they are without fever for 48 hours without using fever-reducing medication.

The third case was reported at approximately 4:30 p.m. Monday. The Hays County resident recently traveled to California and was tested on return at a clinic. They are also under self-quarantine at home until they are fever-free for 48 hours without using fever-reducing medication.

As always, the county must respect the HIPAA laws and cannot share information about where the testing occurred, or the name, gender, or city of the person in quarantine.

CDC has changed its protocols, and specimens are no longer required to be sent to the CDC for confirmation. All positive tests at commercial labs or state labs are now considered a confirmed positive case.
Continue to follow www.HaysInformed.com for a rolling update on COVID-19 issues in Hays County.

Infographic by Colton Ashabranner, Sources: Texas Department of State Health Services, Hays County, City of Austin, Texas Tribune

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to SARS and MERS viruses that have caused previous outbreaks. The disease is caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. COVID-19 may take up to 2-14 days after exposure to appear. The disease can cause a wide range of respiratory illnesses, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease originated in Wuhan, China in late 2019.

• Total cases worldwide: 125,288
• Total cases in U.S.: 1,215
• Total cases in Texas: 23
• Deaths worldwide: 4,614
• Deaths in Texas: 0 

Sources: World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds several times a day, including between your fingers and underneath your nails. Handwashing is considered the best way to remove germs and dirt, and hand sanitizers should be used only when handwashing is not available. The hand sanitizers should be at least 60 percent alcohol to be effective. 
• Avoid handshaking and high-fives
• Avoid touching your face – especially your eyes nose, and mouth
• Stay home when you feel sick
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue then put the tissue in the trash, or use the crook of your elbow if a tissue isn’t available
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household disinfectant cleaning spray or wipe. Clean cell and desk phones, computer keyboards, door handles, and work surfaces often.
• Face masks are not considered an effective way to prevent someone from catching a virus unless you have close, frequent contact with a sick person; however, they are an option for sick people to use to keep from spreading the virus.
• Avoid travel to areas that have been designated high-risk areas because of multiple verified cases of coronavirus.