Osceola County, Iowa — A case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Osceola County. Officials say the confirmed case is a female between 41 and 60 years of age.
According to Osceola Community Health Services, the public health department of Osceola County, the individual is self-isolating at home.
Public health officials continue to encourage everyone to continue to make prevention a priority. These actions include:
• Washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time.
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm.
• Staying home when ill.
The Iowa Department of Public Health says approximately 80% of Iowans infected with COVID-19, will experience only a mild to moderate illness. Most mildly ill Iowans do not need to go to their healthcare provider or be tested to confirm they have COVID-19. Sick Iowans must stay home and isolate themselves from others in their house. Stay home and isolate from others in the house until:
Stay home and isolate from others in the house until:
You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers)
AND
other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)
AND
at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.
If you think you may need healthcare, call first. Your provider can assess whether you need to be seen in the office or if you can recover at home. There may also be options for you to talk to a medical provider from home using technology.
For up-to-date information on COVID-19, follow the department see https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus. You can also follow them on Facebook at @IowaDepartmentOfPublicHealth and on Twitter at @IAPublicHealth. The state also has an information page at https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/
