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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti notes that even in the short time they have had their online form available for people to submit their potential COVID-19 cases, the timeline of when the virus got here hasn't changed much."We're seeing a lot of symptomology from the small sample size of the responses, just under thirty, that a lot of individuals seem to be presenting symptoms at the beginning of March," Baldetti said. "We've seen one February and then a few recent into April."For those willing to give contact information, they will follow up and attempt to make a better guess about whether or not they have had the virus."If they meet what we know about COVID-19 and then working with KDHE are designated a presumptive, we'll hopefully be painting a better picture of both the duration of COVID-19 as it has been in our community presumptively, as well as, hopefully offer more information and data to offer more informed policy guidelines," Baldetti said.This is being done because, at least right now, there just aren't the tests available to give everyone who may have or has had the virus a test."We still know, about a 60% swath of individuals who contract COVID-19, they are going to present fairly mild symptomology," Baldetti said. "At this point, yes, we're going to ask people who have mild symptoms to go ahead and self-report. If they do give us contact information, we're going to be following up with them."There is a conversation going on between the health department and KDHE as to whether the epedemiological work can be done with cases to the point that they can come up with a presumptive positive without putting health care workers at risk in cases where symptoms are mild enough to allow people to self-isolate and treat themselves without going to a health care provider. There has not been an answer from KDHE on that as yet with regard to Reno County specifically.

In absence of tests, county asks for self-reporting and contact information