Logan County Health District

A Message from Health Commissioner Dr. Boyd Hoddinott

From the Logan County Health District:

It is with extreme sadness that The Logan County Health District reports its first death as a result of COVID-19. On June 17th a 56 year old male passed away from complications of COVID-19. No further identifying information will be released to protect the decedent and their family at this difficult time. The Logan County Health District extends our heartfelt sympathy to the family in their time of loss.

Public health professionals have worked with family members, doctors, nurses and death care professionals who may have been in close contact, within 6 feet with this patient, for 10 Minutes or more. Guidance was provided to those close contacts regarding how to monitor themselves for sickness and what to do should they become ill. If you were not contacted by health district staff, you were not identified as a person in close contact with the confirmed case.

Dr. Hoddinott comments “Our agency feels terrible for the family and friends of the individual and want them to know they are in our prayers. COVID-19 can be a very bad disease, and this death reminds us all to protect each other with social distancing and wearing masks in enclosed areas."

We are particularly concerned with residents 60 years of age or older and those with underlying health issues who are more at risk of developing serious health issues due to COVID-19. That’s why it is more important than ever that every resident do their part to slow the spread by taking appropriate measures to prevent and contain the spread of the virus in our community.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

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

This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19. For more information visit www.coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH or 1-833-427-5634.

As per Ohio Department of Health guidance, confirmed cases include probable cases. Definitions are as follows:

- Confirmed: A confirmed case is a person with laboratory confirmation of 2019-nCoV infection.
- Probable: A probable case is a PUI (person under investigation) with absent or inconclusive laboratory results for 2019-nCoV infection who is a close contact of a laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV case.

Close contact is defined as:

a. being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters) of a 2019-nCoV case for a prolonged period of time while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment or PPE (e.g., gowns, gloves, NIOSH-certified disposable N95 respirator, eye protection); close contact can occur while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a health care waiting area or room with a 2019-nCoV case – or –
b. having direct contact with infectious secretions of a 2019-nCoV case (e.g., being coughed on) while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment.

The Logan County Health District is accepting donations of homemade masks! Masks will be distributed to citizens at high risk and citizens with minimal resources as well as small businesses and restaurants in Logan County. Donations may be dropped off between 8:30-4 Monday-Friday at the LCHD Office – 310 S. Main Street, Bellefontaine.

To help the Medical Community of Logan County any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that you are willing to donate may be dropped off at the main entrance of Mary Rutan Hospital’s Logan View (110 Dowell Avenue in Bellefontaine) The hours of drop off are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We ask that items are bagged or boxed for easy drop-off. We ask that items are bagged or boxed for easy drop-off.

The following new/unused supplies are needed:

· Gloves
· Masks
· Digital thermometers
· Goggles
· Face shields
· N95 Mask
· Gowns (all types)
· Hand sanitizer

All Items gathered by donation will be shared throughout Logan County to all prioritized groups. Thank you for helping in this effort.