03 Apr State of the COVID-19 Pandemic in San Miguel County
Questions?
Find latest news releases, public health orders, and FAQs that are regularly updated on the San Miguel County website.
San Miguel County Hotline at 970-728-3844 (non-medical questions only, please)
Email Tri-County Health to volunteer, donate or ask for assistance, including help if you get sick and are quarantined volunteer@tchnetwork.org
For information specifically about UBI c19 Elisa Blood Antibody testing, please visit their site here.
If you need medical assistance, please call TMC 970-728-3848 or use the patient portal at tellmed.org
As always, if you have a medical emergency, please dial 911.
Below is a compelling message from Sharon Grundy, M.D.,County Medical Officer.
Dr. Sharon Grundy
It’s hard to believe that this virus entered our state less than one month ago. So much has happened so fast, and yet I still wake up every morning almost in a state of disbelief.
In the last few days we went from one positive case of COVID-19 in our county to eight, and we still have a couple dozen more swab tests pending.
We are also starting to receive results from our COVID-19 blood tests. With less than 20% of the first round of test results received, it’s enough to know that the coronavirus has been here, is here and more will come.
From looking at our early data, travel is the #1 risk factor for contracting the virus followed by close contact to community members and tourists.
With the closing of our ski area, we helped decrease the influx of international travelers into our region. The closing of schools helped decrease spread among our children.
On the heels of those closures came our public health orders limiting group gatherings, then restricting restaurants to take-out and delivery, and prohibiting non-essential services, and the shelter-in-place and social-distancing orders. I know many in our community thought that these measures were extreme, an overreaction to a faraway threat.
I believed then, and have confirmation now, that these actions were essential and have helped us contain what could have produced even more positive cases.
We learned recently that most of our individuals with positive and borderline blood tests results never even had any symptoms, confirming that the virus spreads from people who never know they are sick. The virus seems to hitchhike like a silent passenger. We’re seeing what it’s doing in New York, New Orleans, and the path of destruction it leaves.
There’s too much at stake. Our regional health care facilities will max out. If we don’t do our part, we will fail. We could see more than a dozen critically ill patients a day and more deaths in one month than we typically see all year. We cannot tolerate such devastating loss.
I am working every day side by side with our Public Health Director, Grace Franklin. We are confident that the new extension of our public health orders is critical to continue to fight this pandemic and its very real threat to our community.
But, at the end of the day, a lot of this is up to you. Your behavior matters. Your behavior is the best defense against COVID-19.
When things are out of control, we crave something we can control. We can control our behaviors. And we’re arming you with the best weapons to defend yourself and our community from this disease.
STAY AT HOME. Seriously. But you can still enjoy walks with family members or a couple of friends.
Severely limit any social gatherings to just a few people, preferably outside.
To the extent you are out of the home or with people outside of your household, be sure to maintain physical distancing. Consider wearing a bandana or face shield, washing it frequently.
And remember:
• Wash your hands, yes, still wash your hands frequently and well with soap and water.
• Don’t touch your face. Sounds silly, but that one discipline is a great defense.
• Disinfect your surfaces.
• Wash your clothes and take a shower when you return from a public place.
• Keep your children from playing with groups of other children.
• And if you get sick, stay home and isolate from household members who are not sick.
Your behavior, our collective behavior is our best defense to keep this disease from destroying our livelihood and leaving its indelible mark on our community. Please, I implore you to do your part.
Dr. Sharon Grundy
San Miguel County Medical Officer
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