News
Probable COVID-19 Case in Athens Co. Determined to be Negative
By: Aaron Payne
Posted on:
ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — A probable case of COVID-19 in Athens County has been determined to be negative.
The Athens City-County Health Department confirmed the news in an email on Thursday, April 23.
“At 2:00 today, ODH posted 4 total cases (3 confirmed, 1 probable) for Athens County,” Director of Community Health and Engagement Ruth Dudding wrote. “Since 2:00 pm today, our probable case was determined to be negative.”
Athens County has not had a confirmed case of COVID-19 since March 29.
On April 20, the health department said O’Bleness Hospital had completed 290 tests for COVID-19.
Anyone experiencing respiratory symptoms is asked to call their primary care physician, urgent care, or emergency department before arriving for care to let them know that they believe they are experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19 virus.
The Ohio Department of Health announced 14,694 total cases of COVID-19 statewide as of Thursday, April 23 at 2 p.m. There are 2,960 hospitalizations and 656 reported deaths.
The DOH makes the following recommendations to protect yourself from illness:
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; dry hands with a clean towel or air dry hands.
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are unavailable.
- Cover your mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
Ohio’s coronavirus call center is open to answer questions from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The hotline number is 1-833-4-ASK-ODH or 1-833-427-5634. More information is available at coronavirus.ohio.gov.