FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2020
Contact: Reba Lean, Public Relations Manager
Phone: 907-443-9674
Nome, Alaska – Norton Sound Health Corporation received results of two positive COVID-19 cases over the weekend. One patient’s results were received late Saturday, August 29, and the other patient’s were received on Sunday, August 30. The cases are close contacts, and both patients are safely isolating.
NSHC notified the State of Alaska Section of Epidemiology and Public Health Nursing, which will conduct further investigation into the cases, including the origination of their infections.
NSHC contacted community leaders in the village to determine a community response plan. Close contacts of the patients will be tested in the coming days.
The local leaders encourage all residents to wear face masks in public and practice social distancing from other households. Taking safety precautions seriously will help limit the spread of the virus, which has the potential to make people very ill.
Many people who test positive for COVID-19 never notice any symptoms, but others experience mild, moderate or even severe symptoms, which can lead to hospitalization. NSHC’s COVID-19 cases have run the gamut of the different levels of severity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that certain populations are at higher risk for severe symptoms, including older adults and people with underlying medical conditions. People with cancer, COPD, heart conditions, diabetes and other types of compromised immune systems are more likely to experience the types of sickness that require hospitalization.
