Since our last press release July 27th, the COVID Incidence rate for Marshall County has increased threefold from 31.2 to 106.1. Our previous highest peak was 85.9 on January 11, 2021. January was also our highest number of cases at 664. We currently have 533 cases with more coming in daily. At our current rate we will exceed 970 or more cases by the end of the month. We humbly ask that everyone please understand the severity of the current outbreak and do what is necessary to protect yourselves, your families, and your community. The current outbreak is impacting our youth, to include very young children, in a way that we have yet to experience.
Due to the dramatic and sudden increase in cases, the current system prevents our Disease Investigation staff from being able to contact every person who tests positive as quickly as we would like. The infrastructure put in place by state earlier in the year no longer exists so the burden of contacting every person who test positive rests completely on the local health departments. We ask that when you test positive, isolate yourself immediately. The health department will contact you as soon as possible but it may take a few days. If you are an employer and you have an employee who tests positive, please allow that employee to self-isolate. The staff at the health department will contact the positive person as soon as possible and will provide them with the necessary documentation they need that confirms they are a positive case. Also, if you know that you are a close contact of a person who tests positive for COVID, please self-quarantine, and get a test after 5 days to confirm if you were infected. The Marshall County Health Department staff and staff at all Local Health Departments across the state are working diligently to contact every positive person as quickly as possible.
We have also just been approved to administer the third dose of vaccine to those who meet certain criteria. If you meet the following criteria and would like a third dose of vaccine you can call the health department at 270-527-1496 to schedule your appointment.
People with medical conditions or people receiving treatments that are associated with moderate to severe immune compromise. (This includes about 2.7% of US adults.)
- Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
- Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
ACIP recommends that immunocompromised individuals who are recommended to receive an additional dose of mRNA vaccine will self-attest their immunocompromised status in order to reduce barriers to vaccination. Note that “fully vaccinated” status is still considered to be 2 weeks after two doses (primary series) of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, or 2 weeks after one dose on Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, even for immunocompromised individuals.
The Marshall County Health Department carries Moderna. However, for those who received Pfizer, it is readily available at several location in the area. We will assist you with that information when you call.
Billy Pitts, Public Health Director