First Positive Case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Kankakee County Confirmed
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)has confirmed the first positive case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) inKankakee County.
It is important to remember that eventhough there has been a confirmed case this is not cause for panic.
The Kankakee County Health Department is workingclosely with IDPH, AMITA St. Mary’s Hospital and Riverside Medical Center toprevent further spread of the disease.
We strongly recommend to continue socialdistancing and other safety measures which include:
- Staying home as much as possible
- If gatherings are necessary, limiting thenumber of people to 10
- Calling to check on family, neighbors,and older adults instead of visiting
- Checking with your provider abouttelehealth options if you feel ill.
- Remember to continue using proper handhygiene
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissueor sleeve when sneezing or coughing.
- Do not shake hands. Instead, wave orelbow bump.
Most importantly stay home if you aresick! Avoid the EmergencyDepartment and other places you seek healthcare if you are not severely ill,unless your doctor advises otherwise. Stay home and keep healthcare accessavailable for others with more severe illness.
If you have a respiratory illness, stay home for7 days after your symptoms started and for 3 days after your fever has stoppedwithout the use of fever reducing drugs, and your cough or sore throat symptomshave improved (whichever is longer).
When you should consult with your doctor:
- Fever, cough, shortness of breath orother cold or flu like symptoms and do not feel better after three to fourdays. Use telephone, text, telemedicine or a patient portal to reach out ratherthan going to your doctor in person if possible.
- You are an older adult or have chronichealth conditions of concern (heart disease, diabetes, lung disease) and areexhibiting mild symptoms.
Note: You and yourprovider will decide if you need to come to medical care. You usually do notneed to be tested unless you are admitted to the hospital.
Important notes about getting tested:
- Most illness caused by coronavirus ismild. IDPH currently recommends against testing persons with mild illness whocan be safely managed at home. The recommendation is to self-quarantine at homestay home for 7 days after your symptoms started and for 3 days after yourfever has stopped without the use of fever reducing drugs, and your cough orsore throat symptoms have improved (whichever is longer).
- This minimizes possible exposures tohealthcare workers, patients and the public and reduce the demand for personalprotective equipment.
- If you think you have COVID 19 and yourillness is mild, and you are not older or with an underlying health conditionof concern, you do not need to see your doctor and you do not need to gettested. Getting tested will not change how your doctor will take care ofyou. If you do not feel better in three to four days, call your provider anddiscuss next steps.
- Do to the limited capacity of testing RiversideHealth Care and AMITA St. Mary’s will prioritize testing to those patients withsevere acute lower respiratory illness or those who meet IDPH criteria fortesting.
For general questions about COVID-19 call theIDPH COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
For information on actions you, your school,workplace, and community can take, please visit Preventing COVID-19 Spread inCommunities at: http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus/preventing-spread-communities
For daily updates on COVID-19 in Illinois followthe IDPH Daily Updates page at: http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus/media-publications/daily-press-briefings