Archived News

Haywood awaiting 21 test results

Haywood awaiting 21 test results

Key messages from Haywood County Health Department Medical Director Mark Jaben following the first positive cases in the county.

Here is Thursday’s update (4/02/2020):

Awaiting test results-21
Negative results-98
Positive-2
Total -121

All available evidence suggests that an infected person does shed virus for at least a few days before symptoms appear.

This is why it is so important for each of us to practice good hand washing and social distancing, so you don’t to give it to others if you are in the asymptomatic period, and more importantly, you don’t pick it up from someone who is not yet sick.

To answer the question "do you anticipate more cases?"

Related Items

Yes.

The spirit behind every action — stay at home proclamation, social distancing, prohibited gatherings, etc- has been all about slowing the spread, under the strong assumption there are undetected cases.

But this is not the important question.

The key question is "how do we limit the spread to ‘flatten the curve’ and maintain the capacity of our healthcare system to take care of every one of us who gets sick or injured, COVID related or not?"

We are doing that right now.

Citizens of Haywood County are physically apart, but still in this TOGETHER!

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.