MCPHERSON -- The McPherson County Health Department reported today six new confirmed cases of COVID-19.
According to information from the health department:
•One newly positive case is a symptomatic male in his 50s with unknown exposure and is recovering at home.
•Another newly positive case is a symptomatic female in her 80s with unknown exposure and is recovering at home.
•Another newly positive case is an asymptomatic male in his 60s with unknown exposure and is recovering at home.
•Another newly positive case is a symptomatic male in his 40s with known exposure and is recovering at home.
•Another newly positive case is an asymptomatic male in his 20s with known exposure and is recovering at home.
•The final newly positive case is a symptomatic male in his 50s with known exposure and is recovering at home.
"McPherson County has had a tremendous uptake in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the last week. An alarming amount of cases are asymptomatic, meaning they do not have any signs or symptoms. A portion of these positive cases report attending gatherings at local lakes, parties, or traveling sport tournaments while contagious. These are events both inside and outside of McPherson County. If you are notified of being a contact of someone who is positive for COVID-19, you MUST quarantine at home for 14 days. If you are a contact, decide to be tested, and it comes back negative, you STILL have to finish your 14 day period because you may become contagious anytime during the rest of the 14 days. We do not routinely recommend testing contacts unless symptoms arise or a high risk individual is involved," the health department noted.
"If you are being tested for COVID-19, you are considered a Person Under Investigation (PUI). The PUI MUST isolate while waiting on results. The PUI should isolate away from anyone in their household. If they are not able to isolate away from the household members by staying in their own room, the entire household must quarantine while awaiting results to reduce exposure," the health department continued.