Jefferson County Public Health: First Jefferson County Resident Tests Positive for COVID-19

Image from Jefferson County Public Health

From Jefferson County Public Health:

Jefferson County, Colo. — Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) has been notified that the State Laboratory at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has confirmed the first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in a Jefferson County resident. The individual is a man in his 50s. He is currently isolated in a medical facility and is in stable condition.

Because the testing was done at the state level, the case is a “presumptive positive” and results will be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmation.

“We wish this patient a quick and complete recovery. JCPH is working closely with CDPHE to identify close contacts and continue this active investigation,” said Dr. Mark B. Johnson, Executive Director at JCPH. “As the situation around COVID-19 develops, we will continue to work together and do everything we can to keep our community as safe, healthy and informed as possible.”

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. JCPH urges our community to practice important everyday actions to prevent the disease and help stop its spread:

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing and sneezing, throw the tissue away and then wash your hands.
Avoid touching your face including your eyes, nose and mouth.
Disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Avoid being around anyone with cold- or flu-like symptoms.
If you’re sick, stay home and away from public places.
Get a flu shot if you have not had yours yet.

“We have been working hard since the emergence of COVID-19 to organize a swift and seamless response once we began seeing cases in Colorado,” said Christine Billings, Incident Commander and Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator at JCPH. “Though of course, we wish we could prevent all spread of disease, it is through the collaborative efforts of our national, state and local partners — and our residents — that we’re able to appropriately respond when the inevitable does happen.”

JCPH also encourages individuals and organizations to prepare for the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak in our community. Here are tips from CDC for preparing at home, at work, at large gatherings and more. Guidance for pre-pandemic COVID-19 preparedness is also available at www.ready.gov.

If you are feeling ill with symptoms associated with COVID-19, like cough, fever or difficulty breathing:

Manage your symptoms at home the same way you manage other cold symptoms. We want to reduce the risk of transmission, so to the extent possible, people with flu-like symptoms should remain at home.
If you need medical care, contact your health care provider and schedule a visit. Let them know that you are concerned you might have COVID-19.
Only contact 911 for emergencies requiring immediate life-saving care and let them know if you are concerned you might have COVID-19.
Restrict visits to the hospital emergency room or urgent care — only individuals needing immediate care should visit these facilities. If you must visit an ER or urgent care facility, call ahead and let them know that you are concerned you might have COVID-19.

For general questions about COVID-19, call CO HELP at 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911 or email COHELP@RMPDC.org, for answers in English, Spanish, Mandarin more.

Additional Resources:

JCPH: www.jeffco.us/coronavirus
CDPHE: www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/2019-novel-coronavirus
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov

About Jefferson County Public Health

Public health is what we as a society do collectively to prevent illness and premature death and promote health in our neighborhoods and communities. Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) is a nationally accredited health department committed to promoting and protecting health across the lifespan for all people through prevention, education and partnerships. To learn more about JCPH visit https://www.jeffco.us/public-health. You can also follow JCPH on Twitter @JeffcoPH, Instagram @JeffcoPH and Facebook @jeffcopublichealth.

Joel Newton

Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.