News
Athens Co. Confirms Fourth COVID-19 Case
By: Aaron Payne
Posted on:
ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Athens County has confirmed the fourth positive case of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
The Athens City-County Health Department announced the case is the only confirmed “active” case in the county as of Friday, May 1.
The department said after the first confirmed case on March 26 that investigations into patients’ close contacts would be conducted.
According to Ohio Department of Health data, the patient is a male in his 30s who has not been hospitalized.
The case is the first for Athens County since March 29. There has been one death in the county.
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 confirmed 18,743 total cases of COVID-19 statewide as of Friday, May 1 at 2 p.m. There have been 3,634 hospitalizations and 1,002 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.