By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Experts from Hutchinson Regional Medical Center and the Reno County Health Department acknowledge that there are asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 in the United States. Right now, due to limited resources, only cases that present with symptoms are being tested, so it is likely we may not know until after the fact exactly how many people had the coronavirus and we can't know how many have it now precisely, even though no one has both presented with symptoms and tested positive in Reno County at this point.
"There are priority states, such as New York, Florida, Washington state, California, Colorado, that are higher priority destinations from a federal level perspective in terms of funneling resources to that jump Kansas at this moment," said Nick Baldetti with the Health Department.
We're already to the point of community transmission in Johnson County, so KDHE has said they will not be using testing resources there, because they can't trace it back. We'll get to that point here eventually.
"At some gestation of this, we will only be able to know the actual spread itself after the fact, in a post-testing environment," Baldetti said.
We're not there yet, they're still sending samples as there has not been proven community spread here, but the only ways to prevent us from getting to that point are social distancing and good infection control practices.
"Wash your hands," Baldetti said. "Wash your hands frequently, especially in well-traveled areas, if you're in contact with tables, doorknobs, etc. Wash your hands constantly. Soap and water is a fantastic defense."
Stay away from people at least six feet if you can. If you can't, limit that exposure to 10 minutes or less.