A list of questions was presented to the LCDHD staff by the media. Those questions, and the answers given, are provided in the following article for the readers of the Clinton County News.

The media updates are presented weekly and the Clinton County News will continue to participate in those briefings so we can better keep our readers informed.

A media Zoom meeting was held on July 29th, 2020 for our media partners and community. A list of questions was presented to our staff by the media.

Our panel consisted of:

Shawn Crabtree, Executive Director

Dr. Christine Weyman, Medical Director

Stuart Spillman, Environmental Health Director

Tracy Aaron, Health Education Director -moderator

Questions for media zoom meeting July 28th

Shawn

Q1-With the number of cases going up a little in McCreary County over the past few days…are the cases related (as in families) or community spread?

(What exactly is community spread and what determines community spread?)

Community spread is, more or less, when you can’t determine from where you contracted it because it is spreading freely in the public. Recent cases have been: 1 travel; 1 church; 1 prison; 1 travel/family; 1 unknown, 2 investigations pending.

Q2-Also, a possible rumor has it that the virus has popped up in a local church….any truth to that? If so, to what degree is the spread?

For our district, 13 percent of active and 13.1% of our total cases have been places of worship related.

Dr. Weyman

Q3-What does it mean when a case has been released?

When a case is considered no longer contagious, they can be released from isolation. The criteria are –it has been at least 10 days since symptom onset, or testing if asymptomatic, and the case has not had a fever for at least 24 hours and symptoms are improving.

Q4-How do our numbers get adjusted when you receive a false positive?

It is difficult to ascertain if a positive is a false positive as people can be positive and also be asymptomatic, however, if we deem that it is a false positive the case is not counted in the first place so no adjustment is necessary.

Q5-: Where it says “still symptomatic”, does that mean that patient has been tested positive before, and now they are re-tested while still symptomatic?

And if so, is the second positive test listed as a new case?

No, it means they are a new case that is showing symptoms.

Q6 – If most of the population wears a mask, when would we see the positive effects of that on the curve?

14-28 days.

Q7- Who are the oldest and youngest positive cases in our district?

103 is the oldest and two months is the youngest.

Stuart

Q8 – Are businesses (stores, nail salons) at 100 percent capacity?

No, retail stores and nail salons are at 50 percent occupational or space capacity.

Dr. Weyman

Q9 – If you are a contact, but you are asymptomatic, should you be tested? Because you may have another set of contacts that are infected.

If you have been a contact to a case, you should be quarantined for 14 days so as not to spread the disease if you become ill-people are most contagious on the day before and the day of symptom onset. Testing is not necessary unless you become symptomatic. If you do test and find out you are negative, that does not mean that tomorrow or in a few days you will not be positive.

Q10 – Is the coronavirus test specific for COVID-19 or does it show positive for other coronavirused?

The antibody tests may cross react with other corona -viruses and thus have false positives. The nucleic acid PCR test and antigen test are specific for COVID-19 virus.

Stuart

Q11 – Businesses are still asking for signs. Where can they get them?

These signs are available on https://govstatus.egov.com/kycovid19

Q12 – What are the regulations for kids wearing masks in stores?

Children under five are exempt from wearing face masks under the Governor’s Executive Order. The CDC recommends that children under two NOT to wear masks.

Dr. Weyman

Q13 – Can someone who has had COVID get it again?

There have been a few documented cases in China of a second infection many months after the initial one, but so far we have not seen this locally. It is possible, as studies show that antibody levels lessen, three months after recovery. More studies are needed to answer that question.

Shawn

Q14 – Since Tennessee is a border state to several of our counties, are Tennessee residents allowed to get tested here?

That would be up to each provider, but I would assume anyone who schedules a visit can get a test.

Q15 – Where can I find an updated list of testing sites or where can I get tested?

https://govstatus.egov.com/kycovid19

Stuart

Q16 – My question is about masks while in church. We are in our 60’s and go to a large church. We haven’t been going because people aren’t wearing masks. Aren’t people supposed to? Isn’t social distancing required at church too, especially in seating? How can this be addressed so they do? We miss going, but feel it isn’t safe because churches aren’t complying with guidelines.

There is guidance on the Healthy at Work website regarding churches. They should be limiting attendance to 50% of building capacity and requiring face masks and social distancing. Unfortunately, there is no way for the health department to police this, we only try to keep pushing our message to avoid large crowds, wear a mask and wash your hands frequently. We have had several clusters associated with churches, so the safest way to have church is virtually or outside services