A sign outside an eatery in Canton promotes safety during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Elizabeth Janney/Patch)
MARYLAND — A White House official advised those in Baltimore they need to work quickly to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The White House coronavirus task force privately warned emergency managers and leaders to take "aggressive" steps to mitigate the spread of the virus in select cities around the country, including Baltimore.
Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the task force, highlighted 11 cities seeing an increase in the percentage of people testing positive and urged them to act immediately to steam the outbreaks.
"Obviously we're talking about increases now in Baltimore," Birx said, according to the Center for Public Integrity, which reported on the phone call with state and city leaders hosted by the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
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Baltimore health officials told the nonpartisan watchdog group they were unaware of the briefing.
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Charm City is taking new measures to prevent the spread of the virus including ordering masks be worn in public and the suspension of indoor dining. Both take effect at 5 p.m. Friday.
Among Birx's recommendations were to trace the contacts of patients testing positive for COVID-19, according to the Center for Public Integrity.
The Maryland Department of Health launched a campaign to raise awareness about contact tracing in late June encouraging residents to "answer the call." It features those who have recovered from coronavirus, such as Claudia Kalu of Baltimore County, whose husband and son got the virus too.
"Passing it onto someone else is not fair," Kalu said. "Contact tracing is important because that’s how we are going to stop the spread.”
Contact tracers provide guidance to those who contracted the virus and to those who may have been exposed about monitoring symptoms, isolating at home and getting tested.
Health officials are asking residents to accept calls from "MD COVID" or 240-466-4888, since those are contact tracers seeking to interview people who tested positive and notify those with whom they may have been in contact. According to Gov. Larry Hogan, Maryland's contact tracers have been successful in their outreach efforts in about 75 percent of cases.
"When you first see that increase in test positivity, that is when to start the mitigation efforts," Birx said in a recording obtained by the Center for Public Integrity. "I know it may look small and you may say, 'That only went from 5 to 5-and-a-half [percent], and we're gonna wait and see what happens.' If you wait another three or four or even five days, you'll start to see a dramatic increase in cases."
Baltimore's positivity rate is 6.09 percent Thursday, down slightly from Wednesday's rate of 6.33 percent, state health data shows.
Maryland's positivity rate is 4.56 percent Thursday, officials said, and it has remained close to that level for about two weeks.
Hospitalizations Continue Upward
One number that has changed is coronavirus patients in Maryland hospitals.
After weeks of decreases, Maryland saw an uptick in coronavirus patients starting around July 15.
Over the past six days, 94 people have been hospitalized with the virus, according to the Maryland Department of Health, which reported there were 528 patients in hospitals statewide Thursday morning.
There are 80,836 confirmed cases of the virus Thursday in Maryland, where state health officials say 3,281 people have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Courtesy of Maryland Department of Health.Courtesy of Maryland Department of Health.Courtesy of Maryland Department of Health.
Maryland Hospitalizations, Deaths
Courtesy of Maryland Department of Health.Table by Patch. Source: Maryland Department of Health.
Maryland Coronavirus Cases By JurisdictionCourtesy of Maryland Department of Health.
Maryland Coronavirus Cases By Age And GenderCourtesy of Maryland Department of Health.
Maryland Coronavirus Cases By Race And Ethnicity
Courtesy of Maryland Department of Health.
Symptoms Of Coronavirus
Contracting the coronavirus can result in mild to severe illness.
Older adults and those with underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes or heart or lung disease, are the most at risk of complications from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These symptoms of coronavirus can appear two to 14 days after exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Those who have trouble breathing, feel persistent pain or pressure in the chest, experience new confusion, have the inability to wake or stay awake or have bluish lips or face should get medical attention immediately, federal health officials say.
To prevent getting the illness, authorities advise staying away from those who are sick, keeping 6 feet of distance between yourself and others, washing hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and wearing a cloth face covering when around others.
