Ravalli County Public Health
August 14 2020
As of 4 p.m. today, Ravalli County Public Health has received four new cases of COVID-19. Ravalli County currently has 10 active cases of COVID-19.
- Two cases are males; one is in his sixties and the other is in his seventies.
- Two cases are females; one is in her twenties and the other is in her fifties.
- One active case is currently hospitalized.
Are clinically recovered persons infectious to others if they test persistently or recurrently positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA?
Public Health has encountered several COVID-19 “persistent positive” cases in the last few months. Here is some information for the community about this phenomenon:
Whether the presence of detectable but low concentrations of viral RNA after clinical recovery represents the presence of potentially infectious virus is unknown. Based on experience with other viruses, it is unlikely that such persons pose an important infectious risk to others. However, whether this is true for SARS-CoV-2 infection has not been definitively established.
Persons who have tested persistently or recurrently positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA have, in some cases, had their signs and symptoms of COVID-19 improve. When viral isolation in tissue culture has been attempted in such persons in South Korea and the United States, live virus has not been isolated. There is no evidence to date that clinically recovered persons with persistent or recurrent detection of viral RNA have transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to others.
- The complete answer to the above question, as well as other valuable questions and answers about COVID-19 can be found on the CDC website at the link below.
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/faq.html#Patients-with-Persistent-or-Recurrent-Positive-Tests
Following Public Health guidelines can help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
- Keep your social circle as small as possible.
- Wash your hands often and thoroughly.
- Wear a mask when in public or when interacting with people.
- Maintain a minimum distance of six feet from others.
If you have any questions regarding COVID-19, please call: (406) 375-6672.