County health officials still monitoring as economy reopens from COVID-19 - The Salem News

As testing for COVID-19 continues in the state amid efforts to reopen from pandemic-related shutdowns, health officials in Dent County remain vigilant and thankful to have only two confirmed cases so far. The second case was announced Saturday.

“We’re still here monitoring every day,” said Dent County Health Center administrator Kenda Mobray. Before Saturday the only case had been released to normal activity, leaving the county without any active cases.

DCHC receives a list from the Department of Health and Senior Services each day of negative test results. If any results were positive, the health center would know within an hour, she said.

As of Thursday, Dent County had 311 negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or nose swab, tests and 35 negative serology tests. DCHC is posting updates on its Facebook page on Mondays and Thursdays now instead of every day.

“A PCR is typically what you do when a patient is symptomatic or if you’re concerned about an active infection of COVID-19,” Mobray said. A serology test is a blood test that detects the presence of antibodies, which suggest a prior infection has occurred.

“The virus is too new for us to know if a positive serology means that you have immunity,” she said. It often does, “but we don’t know that about COVID yet.”

The number of tests in Dent County has picked up considerably in recent weeks after a slow start. Salem Memorial District Hospital, Truman VA and the health center held testing Thursday, and Phelps Health Salem Clinic held testing over the weekend.

For one thing, the state criteria to qualify for a test isn’t quite as stringent as it was in the beginning because there are more testing supplies available, she said.

“And as the hospitals are opening back up, they’re just taking precautions before they allow well people to come into the hospital for other procedures,” Mobray said. Many of the tests come from screenings for standard medical procedures that were postponed because the hospitals stopped doing them for a while.

“So as those pick up, they’re still trying to keep their staff and other patients safe by testing patients that don’t need emergent procedures done,” she said. Clinics aren’t doing the testing themselves. “They’re getting outpatient orders to the hospital, whether it be SMDH or Phelps Health,” she said. “That’s the majority of where Dent County’s testing has come from.”

Mike Gruenberg, SMDH emergency management director, said the hospital is performing at least 10 tests a week. County residents are also being tested in St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia or wherever they go for medical care, but the results count toward Dent’s total.

Statewide, he said, “They’re doing a lot of spot testing, getting more accurate numbers, but we’re not seeing a lot in this area. At the hospital we’ve had all negatives, but we do quite a bit of testing.”

SMDH is staying ready for any surge in cases.

“We are still on high alert at the hospital, so we still require all the staff and patients to wear masks,” he said. A no-visitors policy in force for several weeks was lifted last Monday.

Employees are still having their temperature taken and asked screening questions every day when they report to work. Any reports of close contact are sent to occupational health for a decision on sending an employee home.

At the county level, Mobray and emergency management director Brad Nash continue to participate in weekly conference calls with Gov. Mike Parson along with commissioners, the sheriff and police chief when available.

“And we’re still having stakeholder briefings as needed,” she said. “But not every Friday. Things been status quo for a few weeks.”

She plans to meet with school administrators soon to talk about reopening in August and what that looks like.

Meanwhile, the health center is behind its normal pace on school immunization shots.

“Usually by now we’ve done about 30 percent of the school shots needed for August, and I’m certain we’ve done less than 5 percent this summer,” she said. “We’re trying to get people in here for school shots, trying to ramp that up a little bit.”

A drive-through shot clinic is planned later this month, allowing children to be immunized without coming inside the DCHC building. The clinic will be held from 1 p.m.-6 p.m. June 30, 1010 E. Scenic Rivers Blvd. Required shots for children entering kindergarten, eighth grade and 12th grade. Please bring current immunization record and insurance information.

With regard to COVID-19, the public should continue to be cautious, she said. Missouri recorded over 800 new cases over the weekend, including almost 200 from McDonald County, which borders Oklahoma and Arkansas. The state has had over 18,000 confirmed cases by testing since early March.

“My message would be that everyone still needs to be respectful of the virus, that it’s still a risk and social distancing is important and hygiene is important,” she said.

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