Confirmed cases of COVID-19

Posted 05/19/20 at 10:00 p.m.

Appalachian District Health Department (AppHealthCare) has informed Appalachian State University it has confirmed two additional Watauga County residents with university connections have tested positive for COVID-19.

One individual is an employee of Appalachian State University whose last day on campus was March 20. The other is a subcontracted worker who last worked on campus on May 13. These individuals have fully cooperated with isolation instructions and are recovering at home.

Public health staff have identified some close contacts, who have been instructed to quarantine and who are being provided access to testing during their quarantine period. The contractor has engaged in a thorough cleaning at the job site. Workers will remain off campus until cleared by public health to return.

The case investigation continues. App State and AppHealthCare will work together to continue monitoring COVID-19 at the university and in our community and to keep the public informed.

The university is implementing enhanced precautionary measures with employees who are on campus as well as with subcontracted workers, which include wearing face coverings, maintaining appropriate physical distance and reviewing North Carolina Governor’s Executive Orders 131 and 135, which require all individuals to wear face coverings when they cannot maintain six feet of distance in public areas or work centers.

We continue to hear of self-reported, confirmed cases that are not being tested by AppHealthCare or App State. As we learn of these cases, we are coordinating with local public health agencies to the greatest extent possible, in consultation with the North Carolina Division of Public Health Communicable Disease team. AppHealthCare continues to be a valuable university partner, helping verify tests that may have been performed in other counties.

Students who are concerned about symptoms should call Student Health Services at 828-262-3100 and ask to speak with a nurse. Faculty or staff who have concerns about students or their own health diagnoses should reach out to safety@appstate.edu.

It is important to rely on official sources of information for facts about COVID-19, not share unconfirmed information, and practice prevention measures like handwashing, covering your coughs and sneezes, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.

The university has a dedicated website about its response to COVID-19.

AppHealthCare has developed a website dashboard case count that will be updated regularly. App State will continue to keep the university community informed about verified, positive cases.

Read AppHealthCare’s media release here.

Below is information Public Health has shared with the university and High Country communities regarding COVID-19:

How to Protect Yourself:

• Practice social distancing which means avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people, keeping 6 feet or more between you and others and remaining at home to the greatest extent possible
• Frequent hand washing
• Cover your cough or sneeze
• Keep distance from others who are sick
• Avoid touching your face
• Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces in common areas like doorknobs, remotes, light switches, tables and handles
• Wear cloth mask or face covering when out in public where you may be around people like grocery stores or pharmacies - more information about face coverings can be found on the AppHealthCare website.

COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) Signs & Symptoms:

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of reported symptoms.

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

People at high risk include anyone who:

• Is 65 years of age or older
• Lives in a nursing home or long-term care facility
• Has a high-risk condition that includes:
  • Chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
  • Heart disease with complications
  • Compromised immune system
  • Severe obesity - body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher
  • Other underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as diabetes, renal failure or liver disease

People who are at high risk should stay home to the greatest extent possible to decrease the chance of infection.

Testing:

The North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services has issued updated testing guidance to allow a clinician to test any patient in whom COVID-19 is suspected. At this time, we want to prioritize testing for the following populations:

• Anyone with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19
• Close contacts of known positive cases, regardless of symptoms
• Anyone at higher risk of exposure or at higher risk for severe disease, regardless of symptoms, to include:
  • Persons who live in or have regular contact with high-risk settings (long term care facility, homeless shelter, correctional facility, migrant farm worker camp)
  • Persons who are at higher risk of severe illness
  • People who come from historically marginalized populations
  • Healthcare workers or first responders
  • Front line and essential workers in settings where social distancing is difficult to maintain.

For testing, call your healthcare provider or AppHealthCare. Please do not just show up to a healthcare provider without calling first. This will help your provider prepare should you need to be tested and lessen the potential exposure to others. AppHealthCare will serve anyone, regardless of their ability to pay. As is our usual day-to-day practice, a patient will not be turned away due to inability to pay.

If you have a medical emergency, please call 911 immediately.

Managing Your Overall Health:

During this time, it is important to manage your overall health. There are resources available if you need to reduce anxiety or stress, are experiencing suicidal thoughts, need to better manage chronic conditions and more. Visit the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website.

AppHealthCare is available and on-call 24/7 to respond to public health emergencies. To reach us, call 828-264-4995 anytime and follow the prompts. AppHealthCare has set up a COVID-19 hotline at 828-795-1970 for information during regular business hours. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 in our community and will work to keep the public informed. Please visit our website for more information - www.AppHealthCare.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Questions from agencies requesting support on COVID-19 response, planning efforts, etc. can contact preparedness@apphealth.com.

Additional Resources:

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) coronavirus information.
• North Carolina resources can be found on the Division of Public Health website.
• To view the case count for North Carolina, including a county map.
• App State’s dedicated website about its response to COVID-19.
• A COVID-19 toll free helpline has been set up to answer general, non-emergent questions at 866-462-3821. To submit questions online, go to www.ncpoisoncontrol.org and select “chat.”

For the latest official situation updates:

• Appalachian State University COVID-19 information
• Local information from AppHealthCare (Appalachian Regional Health Department)
• North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services (NCDHHS) coronavirus information
• CDC situation summary information
• Latest information from the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS)
• Guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO)