Daily Sitka Sentinel

Woman Tests Positive; 2nd Sitka Case in Oct.

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

The city dashboard added a new positive test for COVID-19, reported on Thursday.

The alert level in the community remains at “low” or “yellow,” with one current active case. The 14-day rolling case rate is .14 average cases per day.

The latest positive result is for a female resident in her 50s, who was asymptomatic. The dashboard says she was tested October 20, with the result returned October 22 (Thursday). She is isolating at home and contact tracing is complete.

The “transmission classification” listed on the dashboard is “community spread,” which means no source could be identified.

“These are the most concerning cases as their exposure may be due to an undiagnosed and/or asymptomatic case in the community,” the dashboard text advises. 

It’s the first COVID-19 case reported in the community since October 13, and before that September 30. The community has recorded a cumulative case total of 55 residents and 18 nonresidents. The total cumulative hospitalizations is two.

Public Health Nurse Denise Ewing forwarded a link from the state Department of Health and Social Services, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium about what steps to take after getting a COVID test.

It includes information on:

- what to do while waiting for results (e.g. stay at home, avoid public places, avoid sharing personal household items, sanitize).

- if your test is positive (see above), and other precautions, such as stay six feet away from people and animals, inform your work, stay at home, avoid public places, notify close contacts, wear a face covering if symptoms allow – even inside a house when not in a separate bedroom.

The document notes:

“Close contacts should remain in quarantine for 14 days after their most recent exposure to you (regardless of a negative COVID-19 test or a provider’s note).”

Close contacts, the guidance says, are “anyone who was within 6 feet of you for 15 minutes or longer during the two days prior to when your symptoms started, or when you were tested, whichever is earlier.”

On a question of when to end “isolation,” the information sheet says:

“Your isolation period will end after 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared (or date of specimen collection for people who were asymptomatic at the time of testing) and 24 hours have passed with no fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications) and other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving. Note: people who are severely ill with COVID-19 may require a longer isolation period.”

The document also addresses re-testing “previously positive people,” and “when to seek immediate help.” The sheet give guidance on “if your test result is negative”:

“This test shows your result at this moment in time. It offers no protection from future infection. Continue to take steps to protect yourself. You should not be around others until you are feeling better and fever free for at least 24 hours.”

A worksheet is included to track contacts.

The complete document is available at: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/id/SiteAssets/Pages/HumanCoV/Whattodoafteryourtest.pdf