ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Allegan County Health Department (ACHD) has announced new efforts in testing patients for COVID-19.
Starting Wednesday, the department will now be reporting numbers of probable cases in its daily updates.
“Think of this disease as an iceberg. The laboratory-confirmed positive cases collected, are the tip of the iceberg. Our probable and asymptomatic cases across the state that have not previously been measured can be seen as the bottom part of the iceberg,” Health Officer Angelique Joynes said. “Reporting probable cases will give us more detail on the COVID-19 presence within our community.”
Probable cases of COVID-19 disease are individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19, but have not been tested. They meet one of the following conditions within the past 14 days:
- Close contact with a laboratory confirmed case or close contact with another probable case of COVID-19
- Close contact with a symptomatic contact of a laboratory confirmed case
- Traveled to an area experiencing sustained, ongoing community transmission of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 disease
- People within the community who public health authorities consider more likely to be exposed, such as health care workers or people living in-group homes
Meanwhile, the department will continue to contact those tested or diagnosed to identify the close contacts of each individual. This process is known as “contact tracing.”
“We believe aggressive contact tracing is needed to quickly put those potentially exposed on home quarantine to slow the spread of this virus,” Joynes said.
When an Allegan County resident tests positive or is diagnosed as a probable for COVID-19, the Health Department is notified. ACHD contacts the individual and works to identify close contacts.
The ACHD Clinical Team determines who is considered a close contact requiring self-quarantine. The onset of symptoms, as well as the nature, proximity and duration of contact with the person under investigation (PUI) are all taken into consideration in determining the close contact list.
ACHD then communicates with people considered a close contact so they can self-quarantine and monitor themselves for any symptoms.
Officials then continue to stay in contact with these individuals to help connect them to information and resources.
ACHD does not do the following:
- Offer medication for treatment or prevention of COVID-19.
- Ask for Medicaid or other insurance information for billing purposes.
- Request personal identification information such as a social security number or driver’s license number.
“It is critically important people continue to follow social distancing guidelines, wear a cloth face covering when in public, and only leave their home for essential reasons,” officials said. “This will allow us to continue to minimize the number of people who get sick.”
Citizens in Allegan County who have concerns can call the ACHD COVID-19 Hotline at 269-686-4546 (available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or email COVID-19@allegancounty.org.
The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
