Kankakee Times

Kankakee County Sheriff issued the following announcement on March 21.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed a second positive case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Kankakee County. The second case was a female in her 80’s and had contact with the first case.

The Kankakee County Health Department is continuing to work closely with IDPH, AMITA St. Mary’s Hospital and Riverside Healthcare to prevent further spread of the disease.

As more testing is being conducted we expect to have a rise in the number of confirmed positive cases in our county. Moving forward we will do a daily update of confirmed positive cases on the Kankakee County Health Department website www.kankakeehealth.org.

As a reminder:

We strongly recommend to continue social distancing, stay at home procedures and other safety measures which include:

• Staying home as much as possible,

• Calling to check on family, neighbors, and older adults instead of visiting,

• Checking with your provider about telehealth options if you feel ill,

• Remember to continue using proper hand hygiene,

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing.

Most importantly stay home if you are sick! Avoid the Emergency Department and other places you seek healthcare if you are not severely ill, unless your doctor advises otherwise. Stay home and keep healthcare access available for others with more severe illness.

If you have a respiratory illness, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms started and for 3 days after your fever has stopped without the use of fever reducing drugs, and your cough or sore throat symptoms have improved (whichever is longer).

When you should consult with your doctor:

• Fever, cough, shortness of breath or other cold or flu like symptoms and do not feel better after three to four days. Use telephone, text, telemedicine or a patient portal to reach out rather than going to your doctor in person if possible.

• You are an older adult or have chronic health conditions of concern (heart disease, diabetes, lung disease) and are exhibiting mild symptoms.

Note: You and your provider will decide if you need to come to medical care. You usually do not need to be tested unless you are admitted to the hospital.

Important notes about getting tested:

• IDPH currently recommends against testing persons with mild illness who can be safely managed at home. The recommendation is to self-quarantine at home stay home for 7 days after your symptoms started and for 3 days after your fever has stopped without the use of fever reducing drugs, and your cough or sore throat symptoms have improved (whichever is longer).

• This minimizes possible exposures to healthcare workers, patients and the public and reduce the demand for personal protective equipment.

• If you think you have COVID 19 and your illness is mild, and you are not older or with an underlying health condition of concern, you do not need to see your doctor and you do not need to get tested. Getting tested will not change how your doctor will take care of you. If you do not feel better in three to four days, call your provider and discuss next steps.

• Due to the limited capacity of testing Riverside Healthcare and AMITA St. Mary’s will prioritize testing to those patients with severe acute lower respiratory illness or those who meet IDPH criteria for testing.

For general questions about COVID-19 call the IDPH COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.

For information on actions you, your school, workplace, and community can take, please visit Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities at: http://www.dph.illinois.gov/…/coronavirus/preventing-spread…

For daily updates on COVID-19 in Illinois follow the IDPH Daily Updates page at: http://www.dph.illinois.gov/…/media-p…/daily-press-briefings

Original source can be found here.

Source: Kankakee County Sheriff