Dallas County Reports 1,850 Additional Positive 2019 Novel Coronavirus Cases- August 17

From City of Coppell:

As of 11:00am August 17, 2020, Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting 1,850 additional confirmed cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total confirmed case count in Dallas County to 65,278, including 829 confirmed deaths. The total probable case count in Dallas is 2,519, including 7 probable deaths from COVID-19.

The additional 4 deaths being reported today are the following:

• A woman in her 40's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 70's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
• A man in his 70's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been hospitalized, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 70's who was a resident of the City of Richardson. She had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.

Over 2,925 children under 18 years of age have been diagnosed with confirmed COVID-19 since July 1st, including 66 children who have been hospitalized for COVID-19. Of all confirmed cases requiring hospitalization to date, more than two-thirds have been under 65 years of age. Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 has been declining but remains high, with about 13.8% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 32. Of the total confirmed deaths reported to date, about 27% have been associated with long-term care facilities. New cases are being reported as a daily aggregate, with a more detailed summary report updated Tuesdays and Fridays.

Local health experts use hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and ER visits as three of the key indicators in determining the COVID-19 Risk Level (color-coded risk) and corresponding guidelines for activities during our COVID-19 response. Due to weekend reporting, new data will be available on Tuesday, August 18, 2020.

"Once again we have a high number of cases coming in, this time from June, due to a coding error in the State's electronic laboratory reporting system. While at this point it is reasonable and understandable for people to be skeptical of the State's reporting system, it is not reasonable to be skeptical of the science that is proving to be effective throughout the world in controlling the spread of COVID-19, namely wearing a mask, six-foot distancing, hand-washing, deferring unnecessary trips until the numbers are lower, and avoiding any indoor activity where people outside your home cannot wear a mask one hundred percent of the time. The State is working to fix the coding error but we expect to have several more days of discovered backlogged cases where the patient was tested, received their results from the lab, but the information was lost in the State's system and therefore no tracing was done.

Given this situation, we ask that the public do two things: one, as always, if you have reason to believe that you have COVID-19 and get a test for that, we ask that you follow the CDC guidelines, isolate from everyone, including your own family, and mask at home until your results come back. Second given there's a possibility that your results may not make it back to the tracing team, we ask that you let your known close contacts know that they may have been exposed through you to COVID-19. A close contact is anyone that you are around, within six feet, for more than 15 minutes from 48 hours before the onset of symptoms throughout the course of your sickness.

We will get through this by making our very best decisions and not losing our resolve or letting our guard down. That's the best way to have less people get sick, have more businesses stay open and get our kids back to school sooner rather than later," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

All Dallas County COVID-19 Updates and Information can be found here: https://www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/ and all guidance documents can be found here: https://www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/guidance-health.php

Specific Guidance for the Public:

• Dallas County COVID-19 Related Health Guidance for the Public
• Dallas County Measures for Protecting An Institution's Workforce from COVID-19 Infection: Employer/Employee Guidance
• Dallas County Guidance for Individuals at High-Risk for Severe COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends taking everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Avoid close contact outside your home: Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don't live in your household.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others and continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.
• Stay home when you are sick, except to seek medical care
• Wash your hands often and with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and help young children to do the same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-base hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces daily using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve, not your hands. Immediately wash your hands.
• Monitor your health daily. Be alert for symptoms. Take your temperature and follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.

Additional information is available at the following websites:

• CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• CDC Travel Information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
• DSHS: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/
• DCHHS: https://www.dallascounty.org/departments/dchhs/2019-novel-coronavirus.php

This press release was produced by City of Coppell. The views expressed here are the author’s own.