Ravalli County Public Health
9/24/2021
Ravalli County continues to see a spike in reported COVID-19 illness. Community transmission is high and rising in Ravalli County. As of 2pm, Public Health has 494 open active cases. Public Health has followed up on 602 cases this month with 115 of those in children 18 and under. Public Health has followed up on about 235 cases of ”breakthrough,” defined as positive illness in fully vaccinated individuals. Those cases were predominately in individuals employed in high exposure areas such as health care and public service, other identified individuals were those with multiple underlying health conditions. The health care system is reporting an increase in hospitalizations from short stays requiring oxygen therapy or hydration to more serious complications requiring intensive stabilization and ventilation. Public Health has received a number of reported deaths in the last week but those will be vetted before being reported to the state and reflected on the state map.
Public Health continues to encourage residents to step up prevention strategies in an effort to reduce the number of infections. With resources limited or delayed, it’s critical that each of us incorporate whatever prevention strategies we can to help reduce the number of exposures possible if we become ill with the virus. Vaccination is highly recommended to slow spread and decrease severity. We encourage residents to speak with their provider or pediatrician about vaccination.
Additionally, we ask residents to follow the recommended guidance
- Physical distancing whenever possible and frequent hand washing
- Individuals, regardless of vaccination status, should mask indoors and in close contact settings and outside of cohort groups.
- Vaccinated individuals with a known exposure should mask for 14 days
- Unvaccinated individuals with a known exposure should quarantine. If using the reduced quarantine strategy Public Health recommends consistent and correct masking. Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated areas.
- Please staying home when sick
Public Health would like to thank Ravalli County School Superintendents for working tirelessly on prevention strategies to accommodate a safe in-person learning environment. Thank you to their staff that are doing their best to implement these strategies in an effort to keep our children in school and learning. Public Health believes we do not need mandates to come together as a community and do all we can to keep our schools open and our community healthy.
Howard S. says
Read this article in the the Bitterroot Star and see if Mr. Miller’s take on things holds up:
https://bitterrootstar.com/2021/09/postcard-from-an-overrun-icu-the-problem-is-we-are-running-out-of-hallways/
Mike Miller says
As I write this, the CDC site lists 686,639 deaths from 42,850,746 cases. That is literally a 99.9984% survival rate! A 99.9984 survival rate!
Something with a 99.9984 survival rate is NOT a “pandemic”.
STOP spreading mass hysteria over this extremely high survival rate! The sky is not falling, Chicken Littles! We will survive. We are literally built and designed to survive, and have been doing it successfully for millions of years.
Jack wilson says
I am pretty sure that folks should not be taking medical advice from someone such as Mr. Miller with such a poor grasp of simple things like long division. You are off by a factor of 100 in your calculations. The numbers you give imply A 1.6% death rate, Not the 0.0016% rate you cite. Independent studies suggest even this is a significant under count of direct Covid death. It also does not consider non-Covid deaths from those who can’t access emergency care in overcrowded hospitals. It also Completely ignores problems such as Long Covid which can plague folks long after the initial Covid symptoms disappear.
Do what you want with your own life Mr. Miller. But please, stop spreading misinformation that can harm others.
Mike Miller says
Gee, Mr Wilson, I’m real sorry for the really small percentage decrease that seems to have got you all crabby!
I stand corrected in my math; the survival rate (based on those numbers) is 98.4% CDC stats show a 98.4% survival rate for covid-19. My being off by a factor of 100 still brings to light an amazing survival rate; but you (and yours) clearly ignore the facts of science to berate me for a simple math mistake. By your own words, you state only “a 1.6% death rate” for covid, but seem overly alarmed by this amazingly high survival rate and attempt to detract that with a straw man argument.
Additionally, both the Ravalli Republic and Missoulian did a news story about only 1 death per 500 cases; that is a 99.8 survival rate. No, Mr Wilson, I had nothing to do with that story.
Mr Wilson, if you’re so concerned about a 98+% survival rating being bad, I suggest you direct your attention to the top killers listed by the CDC, all of which have a much higher percentage of death that covid (such as heart disease: “About half of all Americans (47%) have at least 1 of 3 key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking”- direct CDC quote). After all, that’s what the science on the CDC site clearly states, and I’m just following the science our fine President has stated as factual.
That’s cute, you trying to factor in data that’s not included to strengthen your straw man argument. Allow me to retort using my straw man: if we take the deaths that were attributed to covid, but really were due to vehicle accidents, already existing underlying health conditions, misdiagnosis, etc., does that even out your non-factored concern? Or are you just grasping at silly straws in an attempt to stray from the factual science listed on the CDC site, that President Biden we should follow? How about you not attempt straw man arguments in an attempt to refute the factual science of the CDC?
Play Chicken Little all you want with you own life Mr Wilson. But please, stop spreading fear and panic that can harm others.