95 confirmed cases; 64 individuals have recovered

PCHOSP • May 15, 2020

(Greencastle, Ind.) Putnam County officials announced today that there are currently95confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county. According to the Putnam County Health Department, 64 people have recovered from the virus.

Additional updates include:

OptumServe is offering FREE COVID-19 tests in Putnam County. OptumServe is testing high-risk Hoosiers showing symptoms of COVID-19 or in direct contact with someone who has the virus. Visit /testing-site-opens-may-13/ to learn who should be tested. Registration is required at https://lhi.care/covidtesting or (888) 634-1116. Testing is available Monday through Friday through June 5 . Please note that with the increase in testing, it’s possible that the number of cases in the county will increase.
OptumServe has tested 84 people at its Putnam County testing site since May 13. The testing site is open to residents from Putnam and the surrounding counties, so not all of the individuals tested are Putnam County residents.
You may hear from the State’s contractor for contact tracing if you have come into contact with an individual who tests positive at the OptumServe test site. Expanded contact tracing is critical to stopping the spread of the virus into the community. Please be alert for emails or text messages that come from a different area code. Don’t ignore these messages!
Estimates from a recent study show 2.8 percent of Hoosiers have COVID-19. The Indiana State Department of Health and IU’s Fairbanks School of Public Health shared results from a recent study of 4,600 randomly selected Hoosiers who were tested for viral infection and antibodies of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The results include:
- 1.7 percent tested positive for COVID-19, and an additional 1.7 percent tested positive for antibodies
- 45 percent people tested were asymptomatic
- the infection-fatality rate is .58 percent, nearly six times more deadly than the seasonal flu.
Based on their analysis of the data, researchers estimate that 2.8 percent – or 186,000 people – were actively or had been previously infected by May 1, 2020. Visit https://news.iu.edu/stories/2020/05/iupui/releases/13-preliminary-findings-impact- covid-19-indiana-coronavirus.html to learn more.

Bring a mask from home when out in public and wear it. Practice social distancing, too.
Contact Putnam County’s Masked Mommas if you need a mask. Our dedicated community volunteers have made and distributed thousands of masks. Visit https://www.facebook.com/Putnam-County-Mask-Mommas-Sew-Serve- 100134314992282/ for a mask.

It is imperative individuals take action to avoid COVID-19 to prevent its spread. A number of preventive steps include:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, especially with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are showing symptoms of illness.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Cover your cough or sneezes with a tissue or sneeze into your elbow.
Throw the tissue in the garbage and make sure to clean your hands afterwards.
Stay home when you are sick.
Wear face coverings in public when performing essential duties.
We are all in this together.

Putnam County is providing regular updates on COVID-19 to citizens as part of its effort to complement the daily updates from the Indiana State Dept. of Health. The updates can be accessed via www.coronavirus.in.gov .

To learn more about Putnam County’s coordinated response to COVID-19, please visit the Putnam County Hospital at www.pchosp.org/covid-19-updates or the Putnam County Health Department at www.putnamhealthindiana.org.