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Health care workers among Harrison County’s confirmed COVID-19 cases

CADIZ — According to Harrison County officials, 30 percent of the county’s confirmed COVID-19 cases are health care workers.

Garen Rhome, administrator of the Harrison County Health Department, said out of the county’s 10 positive cases, three are health care workers. Rhome met with the Harrison County commissioners to give an update on the virus within the county during Wednesday’s regularly scheduled meeting. As of Wednesday, there were 10 positive cases in the county, five of whom have now recovered.

In addition to the local healthcare workers who have tested positive for the virus, Rhome said there have also been a few healthcare workers in quarantine due to being a close contact of a positive case.

“It actually works out that 30 percent of the quarantined close contacts that we’ve had to monitor over the past few months, almost exactly 30 percent are also healthcare workers. That’s an interesting look into some of our hardest hit folks,” he said.

Rhome displayed a chart to Commissioners Paul Coffland and Don Bethel that depicted the county’s cumulative positive cases by age range and by gender. Commissioner Dale Norris attended the meeting through teleconference.

“We’re at 10 (positive) cases now. One is actually a minor,” Rhome said.

There is one positive individual under the age of 18, one individual between the ages of 19 and 24, four individuals between 25 and 49, two individuals between 50 and 64 and two individuals older than 65. The age group with the most positive cases in the county is those between the ages of 25 and 49, he said.

Although no one in the county older than 80 has tested positive for the virus, Rhome recommends those in that age group take extra safety precautions. He said they have a higher death rate when infected with the coronavirus.

“In the framework of who really needs to stay home and still take care of themselves is 40.5 percent of cases in Ohio over the age of 80 have actually resulted in death. Over the age of 80, that’s a 40 percent chance of not making it through this (virus),” he said. “That’s a pretty staggering number for those over the age of 80.”

Rhome said Harrison County’s eldest positive case is a 76-year-old.

“We don’t have anybody (who has tested positive) over the age of 80 here in the county,” he stressed.

Out of the 10 cases, one individual remains hospitalized due to the virus.

“We’ve had two total hospitalizations. One has gone home to continue their recovery, and one of our residents remains hospitalized,” he said.

Rhome said thus far there is no concern about clusters or outbreaks at specific locations within the county.

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