San Saba County COVID-19 cases rapidly climbing; count now at 13

Texas Department of State Health Services Local Authority Dr. Craig Whiting reported Monday, July 13th, that 13 COVID-19 cases have been identified in San Saba County. He stated five are “active” cases, and “one of these five is hospitalized so not a threat to communicating illness in the community.”

Please note: Dr. Whiting reminded me that the date of this information is important since the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic changes so rapidly. This information is as of Monday evening, July 13, 2020.

Next, I asked Dr. Whiting if any of our new cases were involved in public business. He replied, “One case has contact with a daycare center, but appropriate steps have been taken to check all workers for possible COVID-19. This particular facility is closed until work-up and disinfection is completed.” Dr. Whiting emphasized that this is only one of the daycare centers in the county, not all of them. He stated further, “the daycare involved is taking all necessary precautions to protect clients and staff alike before re-opening.”

When asked if the new cases were community spread or travel related, Dr. Whiting answered, “Cases so far have been traced to contact with people outside of our county (either visiting from outside county or county resident traveling to visit outside the county), though contact investigation is still ongoing, so that may change.”

Dr. Whiting explained about the importance of contact tracing: “When we do contact tracing, we are reaching out to help our fellow San Saba citizens protect themselves and their community.” Marsha Hardy, Emergency Management Coordinator for San Saba County, reported to me Monday afternoon that she is helping with the contact tracing for the virus.

In response to the question if any of the new cases were related to the nursing home residents or staff, Dr. Whiting answered, “None are related to the nursing home.”

Dr. Whiting continued, “We have been blessed in our county to have a relatively small number of cases. But COVID spreads easily and rapidly, so we want to continue to be cautious. We follow guidelines for handwashing, physical distancing and wearing a mask not just to protect ourselves, but as a personal sacrifice of our comfort for the sake of the vulnerable in our community. This care and concern for each other is a hallmark of our faith and our love.”

I shared my concerns with Dr. Whiting that many people may be putting off going to the doctor and following up on other health issues for fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus when they go to the doctor. He had these words of encouragement for us: “Speaking for Baylor Scott & White,” (Dr. Whiting is also the Medical Director of the Baylor Scott and White San Saba Clinic), I want to reassure our community that it is safe and important to follow up on health issues. If you have symptoms suggestive of possible COVID-19 infection, then CALL your medical provider. At our clinic, we will do phone or video visits if you are sick, and if there’s suggestion of infection with COVID-19, then we will arrange to have you tested for the virus. If you are not ill but have medical problems, then call us or your provider’s office for an appointment to follow up. Keeping chronic medical problems, like high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, etc., under control is important to maintain your resistance to infections, like COVID-19.”

In conclusion, Dr. Whiting added, “If you want to be tested for COVID-19 but don’t have symptoms, you can go online to the website <texas.curativeinc. com> to sign up for free testing. This testing is done through a cooperative program of the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Division of Emergency Management which is setting up sites around the state. You will be able to make an appointment for the testing and, since they are mobile sites, you will likely have to travel to a neighboring county to provide a sample. I am told that they are doing the more comfortable cheek swabs rather than nasopharyngeal (which is swabbing the back of your throat by passing the cotton tipped applicator through your nose).

“If anyone has questions about how to care for themselves, a friend or family member during this pandemic, they can reach out to the help line of the department of health by dialing 211 on their phone and choosing option 6,” according to Dr. Whiting.