State health officials reported 17 new cases of COVID-19 in Indiana on Thursday, raising the statewide total to 56 since the first case in the state was detected on March 6.
There have been 380 tests administered for COVID-19, though that figure may not include the number of tests administered at third-party labs.
However, the total number of confirmed cases reported by ISDH includes positive test results detected at state health department and third-party labs.
There have been two deaths so far in Indiana, one in Marion County and the other in Johnson County.
There are no new cases reported in Bartholomew County as of Thursday.
The following county breakdown was provided by the health department:
Counties reporting one case: Adams, Bartholomew, Boone, Clark, Fayette, Floyd, Jennings, LaPorte, Madison, Noble, Owen, Tippecanoe, Wayne and Wells
Counties reporting two cases: Franklin and Hamilton
Counties reporting three cases: Johnson (with one death) and St. Joseph.
Counties reporting four cases: Hendricks, Lake
Counties reporting five cases: Howard
Marion County has the largest number of cases reported, 19, with one death.
The Bartholomew County case, detected in an adult patient in isolation and in stable condition at Columbus Regional Hospital, is the only local confirmed case so far.
Columbus Regional Hospital has expanded its COVID-19 triage line for the community to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, hospital officials said Thursday. The triage resource call center pre-screens those who are concerned or have questions about potential exposure or symptoms of COVID-19. Staffed by trained nurses, the number is 812-379-4449.
CRH spokeswoman Kelsey DeClue said Thursday the hospital’s triage line is receiving 400 to 450 calls a day.
No new deaths linked to COVID-19 have been reported in Indiana. So far, two patients over the age of 60 have died from the illness, one each in Marion and Johnson counties, according to state health officials.
A spike in COVID-19 cases in Indiana is expected as state health officials have ramped up testing, said Kristina Box, Indiana State Health Commissioner, during a press conference on Thursday.
“As testing increases, we expect to see our number of positive cases grow,” Box said. “I urge Hoosiers to continue to adhere to the social distancing guidelines that have been outlined and limit your gatherings.”
During the press conference Thursday, Gov. Eric Holcomb said Indiana is not yet at a point where he will direct people to shelter in place, as has been decreed in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Cases of COVID-19 continue to rise around much of the globe on Thursday, with at least 236,420 confirmed cases worldwide and over 9,700 deaths linked to the virus, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.
At least 84,900 people have recovered from the illness, including at least 100 people in the United States.
Italy’s death toll from the coronavirus overtook China’s on Thursday, and infections in the United States climbed past 10,000, The Associated Press reported.
Italy, with a population of 60 million, recorded at least 3,405 deaths, or roughly 150 more than in China — a country with a population over 20 times larger, according to wire reports.
Italy reached the bleak milestone the same day that Wuhan, the Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged three months ago, recorded no new infections, a sign that the communist country’s lockdowns were effective in containing the virus, according to The Associated Press.
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Local residents with concerns are urged to call the health system’s Triage Resource Call Center, a phone resource line launched by CRH last week to handle calls from residents with questions and concerns about exposure or symptoms associated with COVID-19, CRH officials said.
The phone resource line can be contacted at 812-379-4449 available seven days a week, and is staffed by registered nurses who will offer screening questions and potentially recommend a course of action for patients.
Visit crh.org/news/2020/03/16/coronavirus-update-what-you-need-to-know for more information.
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Columbus and Bartholomew County officials have created a site on the Bartholomew County website where information will be shared about coronavirus, at bartholomew.in.gov/emergency-management.html#covid-19.
Visit crh.org/news/2020/03/12/coronavirus-update-what-you-need-to-know to learn more about Columbus Regional Health’s COVID-19 Triage Resource Call Center.
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To see the latest list of closing and cancellations, see Page A3.
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Federal officials are scrambling to broaden testing for the coronavirus after one of the government’s top health officials called the initial testing effort “a failing” and health care professionals, politicians and patients across the country complained about lack of access to testing, according to The Associated Press.
CRH officials acknowledged on Monday that there is a “shortage of testing supplies” and said relatively healthy people with a low fever and cough and are not that sick would likely be advised to stay at home and not seek medical attention.
However, people with symptoms such as shortness of breath or risk factors such as being older than 60 and/or having a compromised immune system should seek medical care and let their physician decide if a test will help direct their care.
Anyone with concerns are urged to call the health system’s Triage Resource Call Center, a phone resource line launched by CRH last week to handle calls from residents with questions and concerns about exposure or symptoms associated with COVID-19.
The phone line is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is staffed by registered nurses who will offer screening questions and potentially recommend a course of action for patients, said CRH spokeswoman Kelsey DeClue.
The phone resource line can be contacted at 812-379-4449.
Visit crh.org/news/2020/03/16/coronavirus-update-what-you-need-to-know for more information.
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At this time, the most effective way to protect yourself and your loves ones is to practice the following:
Social distancing (avoid large public gatherings).
Proper hand hygiene – washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and using alcohol-based sanitizer as a secondary option.
Covering cough.
Not going in public if you are ill, especially if you have a fever.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
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For breaking stories about the coronavirus pandemic, visit therepublic.com.
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