Taylor has first positive test

Posted on April 8, 2020

By CAITLYN BURCHETT / Staff Writer

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that a 29-year-old female has tested positive for the coronavirus in Taylor County during Tuesday’s 11 a.m. update.

Previously one of only four Florida counties without a single positive case being reported, Taylor County has now joined the majority of the state with at least one positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test result.

According to DOH, the individual is isolated and receiving care in her home.

Utilizing contact tracing measures, local DOH staff began actively interviewing, evaluating and educating at-risk contacts once the positive result was confirmed.

“If you are not contacted by the DOH, you have not been in close contact with her,” DOH Taylor County Public Information Officer Martine Young said.

The DOH defines a “close contact” as a household member, intimate partner, individual providing care in a household without using recommended personal protection equipment and individuals who have been within six feet of her for 30 minutes or more.

To date, Taylor County has completed 68 tests – all of which were Taylor County residents – with one test being returned positive for COVID-19.

As the demand for COVID-19 testing far exceeds the nation’s supply, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and healthcare professionals in each state have established testing criteria to limit testing to those who are sick.

As they battle the virus and the widespread testing shortage, local primary healthcare providers, as well as Doctors’ Memorial Hospital (DMH) and its clinics, continue to test residents, but only if they meet the required criteria.

To be tested, an individual must be experiencing a fever over 100.4, a cough and shortness of breath and check one or more of the following boxes:

• Been in close contact with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case,

• Traveled to or from an affected geographic location with widespread community transmission within the last 14 days,

• Have a history of international travel or been on a cruise within the last 14 days,

• Be hospitalized with an acute lower respiratory illness of unknown origin,

• Be a person 65 years or older with chronic health conditions,

• Or be an immunocompromised person.

Those who meet the criteria qualify for COVID-19 testing, however, priority testing is given to patients who  higher risk (see chart) as well as healthcare workers who may have come into contact with and infected high risk individuals. 

While meeting the criteria is a requirement to be tested by a state laboratory, healthcare providers may order testing with a commercial laboratory as they deem necessary.

“Providers do not need to get approval in order to conduct tests unless they have some kind of internal policies or guidelines. It is simply at the provider’s discretion,” DOH Taylor County Public Information Officer Martine Young said.

Test results are generally returned from a state laboratory in 48 hours, while commercial labs can take a week or longer to return test results. 

If an individual experiences any of the symptoms outlined above or suspects they have contracted the coronavirus, the DOH recommends they immediately self-isolate and call their healthcare provider to discuss their symptoms, travel history and/or possible COVID-19 exposure.

“It is important to call ahead so that your healthcare provider can take the proper steps to avoid further spread of the illness when you arrive for your medical evaluation,” Young said.

Local DOH officials encourage residents and visitors to continue to take steps to protect themselves from the respiratory illness, including:

• Keep your family home if anyone is sick.

• Avoid close contact with others such as hugging, kissing or shaking hands.

• Move away from people before coughing or sneezing. If possible, cough and sneeze into a tissue and immediately throw it away. If a tissue is not available, cough into your elbow or cover your face with clothing.

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol – based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol often, but especially after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands or after touching surfaces.

• Clean and disinfect “high touch” surfaces often.

“Your cooperation in integral to the ongoing public health response to try to slow the spread of this virus,” a DOH press release said.

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