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March 5, 2020 - 8:00 pm
Suspected Novel Coronavirus in Grand County.
A patient suspected of carrying Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) was transported from Grand County, CO to a medical facility on the Front Range for testing on Thursday, March 5, 2020. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) currently oversees testing for COVID-19 and will notify appropriate entities in Grand County should the case be confirmed. We expect to know more on Friday, March 6, 2020. If the case is confirmed, we will work collaboratively with CDPHE to share that information with the public as soon as possible.
Earlier today: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed that a man visiting Summit County tested “presumptive” positive for COVID-19. A presumptive case means testing was done at the state level and will need to be verified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDPHE officials said the state is acting on all "presumptive" cases as if they were confirmed, "because a quick response is essential to minimize the spread of the virus."
For more information and recommendations regarding how you can help limit the spread of COVID-19 in Grand County, visit Grand County Public Health or follow Grand County Public Health, Grand County Office of Emergency Management, and CDPHE on Facebook.
Please note we will keep you posted with new information as soon as we have it. The CDPHE website states: “We are doing everything possible to limit and slow the spread of COVID-19 in Colorado.
This is a rapidly changing situation, and it’s hard to predict exactly how COVID-19 may affect our communities. What we’re seeing in other areas tells us that once spread is detected in a community, numbers can increase quickly. Given that, our recommendations may change just as quickly.”
March 5, 2020 - 3:00 pm
What Grand County is doing to be prepared for the Novel Coronavirus.
Even though there have been no cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Grand County or Colorado, and though the immediate risk to most people is low, Grand County Public Health, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and our health and medical partners are prepared.
Since the start of the outbreak, Grand County has been taking a proactive approach working closely with CDC, CDPHE and other partners to:
- Provide timely and accurate information about the outbreak to our community.
- Share guidance with health care providers so they know how to safely care for people with possible COVID-19 infection.
- Support local hospitals and other health and medical partners with requests for information, resources, and logistics.
- Actively monitor the situation and refine our response and recovery plans to minimize the impact of COVID-19 should it occur in our community.
Grand County Public Health maintains a Public Health Emergency Operations Plan. The Grand County Office of Emergency Management maintains a County-wide all-hazards Emergency Operations Plan, which states that Grand County will utilize the incident command system to allow for enhanced and coordinated response efforts and acquire resources and supplies.
To stay updated visit the Grand County Public Health webpage or follow Grand County Public Health, Grand County Office of Emergency Management, and CDPHE on Facebook.
February 28, 2020
Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)
Grand County Public Health is working closely with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) to monitor progress and risk of the novel coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are associated with a respiratory illness that results in fever, cough and shortness of breath. These viruses spread through coughing or sneezing, much like the flu.
Some coronaviruses are common and regularly cause illness in the U.S. in the fall and winter. There are many types of coronaviruses currently circulating in Colorado and the U.S. that cause respiratory illness. These illnesses are NOT COVID-19. Symptoms appear within 2-14 days after exposure.
We do not know yet how severe 2019 Novel Coronavirus is compared to other coronaviruses or how easily it can spread between humans.
There has been limited person to person transmission in the United States. People who have had close contact with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of 2019 novel coronavirus persons are at greater risk of infection.
Currently, in Colorado there are NO cases of COVID-19. The risk for Coloradans is low at this time.
People who are at the greatest risk for this virus are:
- People who recently traveled from China
- Close contact with people that have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
As with other respiratory viruses, it is recommended that people protect themselves and others by practicing everyday actions:
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub when soap and water is not available.
- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid close contact with anyone that is experiencing symptoms of illness.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Avoid touching your face.