Critical time to prevent spread of COVID-19, health officials say

MEDFORD, Ore. — It’s a critical time to prevent the spread of coronavirus locally, that’s according to Jackson County Public Health officials.

With three new confirmed cases in the county Friday morning, NBC5 News is told it’s only the beginning.

“I think we’re already in a place where we’re about to see pretty large widespread disease in our community,” said Health Officer, Dr. Jim Shames.

But he says the number of confirmed cases doesn’t give an accurate picture.

“People who did whatever they were doing got infected and then they had an incubation period and then they got sick and then they got sick enough to get tested and then it took a while for the tests results to get back, so we’re looking back in time,” he said.

Dr. Shames says we’ve entered a phase of rapid community spread meaning how well we distance ourselves from others in the coming days, could mean the difference of life or death for some people in our community.

“I think it’s very appropriate for us to prepare for that and we can all be pleased if, in fact, the surge is blunted. I don’t think that means our predictions are wrong I think it will probably mean that our behaviors were right.”

Although privacy laws prevent officials from releasing more details about the confirmed cases, we’re told three are between the ages of 50 and 59, three between the ages of 70 and 79, and one person is in their 30’s.

“This disease is contagious to the extent that every person that gets sick will probably infect two to three other people,” said Dr. Shames.

The county says 4 of the 7 are men, three are women. While 2 caught the virus through travel, the 5 others got it from someone in the community.

“What you’re seeing now is the result of behaviors that occurred one and two and sometimes three weeks ago,” said Dr. Shames.

As we head into the weekend, public health officials are leaving us with a warning: to reconsider any plans that involve being near other people.

“I would love to be wrong but I would also feel bad if I didn’t share that belief with others so in case they were hesitant to take appropriate action… maybe they will take appropriate action now,” Dr. Shames said.

Some other tips:

  • Don’t visit older family members or those with underlying health conditions at this time.
  • Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water… for at least 20 seconds.
  • Regularly disinfect surfaces or frequently touched objects.
  • Maintain 6 feet of distance from people when outside.

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