March 27, 2020 Contact: media@apphealth.com
Sparta, NC – An Alleghany County resident has tested positive for COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
This case had travel history and has been in isolation at home. The local public health staff have identified the close contacts, who have been in quarantine.
“We have been preparing to see a positive case of COVID-19 in Alleghany County. Now that we have a positive case, we will continue to work diligently to protect the public’s health. It is our top priority, and we will work to keep the community informed,” stated Jennifer Greene, Health Director, AppHealthCare.
AppHealthCare is working closely with local partners and agencies to ensure the public’s health is protected and precautions are being taken to protect all residents of Alleghany County.
“We are confident in public health’s ability to lead this effort and appreciate their partnership with Alleghany County and other local agencies to protect our community’s health,” stated Bobby Irwin, Alleghany County Commissioner and Board of Health member.
We want to remind the public to share credible, reliable information and practice prevention measures like handwashing, covering your cough and sneeze, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
How to Protect Yourself
- Practice social distancing which means avoiding gatherings, keeping 6 feet or more between you and others and remaining at home to the greatest extent possible
- Frequent hand washing
- Stay home when you’re sick
- Keep distance from others who are sick
- Avoid touching your face
- Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces in common areas like doorknobs, remotes, lightswitches, tables and handles
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
People at high risk include anyone who:
- Is 65 years of age or older
- Lives in a nursing home or long-term care facility
- Have a high-risk condition that includes:
- Chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
- Heart disease with complications
- Compromised immune system
- Severe obesity – body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher
- Other underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as diabetes, renal failure or liver disease
AppHealthCare is available and on-call 24/7 to respond to public health emergencies. To reach us, call (336) 372-5641 anytime and follow the prompts. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 in our community and will work to keep the public informed. Please visit our website for more information – www.AppHealthCare.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Questions from agencies requesting support on COVID-19 response, planning efforts, etc. can contact preparedness@apphealth.com. Media inquiries can be directed to media@apphealth.com.
We will maintain a positive case count on our website at www.AppHealthCare.com.
Additional Resources
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) website at cdc.gov/coronavirus.
North Carolina resources can be found on the Division of Public Health website at ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus. To view the case count for North Carolina, including a county map, please visit the NC DHHS website here.
A COVID-19 toll free helpline has been set up to answer general, non-emergent questions at 1-866-462-3821. To submit questions online, go to www.ncpoisoncontrol.org and select “chat.”
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