Health Department confirms first case of COVID-19 in Cerro Gordo County

MASON CITY – A case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Cerro Gordo County. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), the individual is self-isolating at home.

“While this is Cerro Gordo County’s first case, it may not be the last, and that’s why we encourage all residents to continue to make prevention a priority,” said Brian Hanft, Director of CG Public Health. “It’s important to remain calm and practice basic infection prevention measures.” Those infection prevention measures include:

• Washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time.
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm.
• Staying home when ill.

Approximately 80% of Iowans infected with COVID-19, will experience only a mild to moderate illness. Most mildly ill Iowans do not need to go to their healthcare provider or be tested to confirm they have COVID-19. Sick Iowans must stay home and isolate themselves from others in their house. Stay home and isolate from others in the house until:

• You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers)

AND

• other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)

AND

• at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.

If you think you may need healthcare because you have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, call the MercyOne Health Line at 641-428-7777. A nurse can assess whether you need to be seen or if you can recover at home. If you have mild symptoms, or may have come in contact with someone confirmed with COVID-19, please read our isolation instructions at https://cghealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/COVID-19-Isolation-Instructions.pdf.

There may also be options for you to talk to a medical provider from home using technology. To help you make decisions about seeking appropriate medical care, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/index.html to complete the ‘Coronavirus Self-Checker’. If you have general questions about COVID-19, call the COVID-19 Call Center Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Call the state hotline at 2-1-1 when the call center is not open.

A status report of monitoring and testing of COVID-19 in Iowa provided by IDPH can be found at https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus. For more information about COVID-19, please visit CG Public Health’s website at cghealth.com. Follow CG Public Health on Facebook and Twitter (@CGPublicHealth).