FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Marion County has reported 58 confirmed positive test results during the pandemic and currently monitoring eleven active cases.
Marion County Health Department administrator Lloyd White conducted additional testing events through a partnership with the DHHR. The additional events were done in rural areas of the county to eliminate transportation as a barrier to testing.
White says people in the county that have requested a test have received one, now testing will become more routine.
“We still do testing for pre-op Mon Health patients who live in Marion County,” White said,”Beyond that, we will test as the state dictates.”
COVID testing has been the only reliable way to pinpoint where the virus is spreading and take steps to protect the community.
“People can be asymptomatic and test positive, or maybe have light symptoms they would attribute to something else,” White said,”So, I think as we do more testing we all knew we would identify more cases.”
Testing supplies have not been a problem in Marion County and the number of positive results has been manageable, according to White.
“We’re identifying some additional cases, I think the cases we’re identifying, I’m very pleased are low,” White said,”For every case we’re identifying, that’s one case that eliminate community transmission.”
Of the eleven cases that are being monitored White says the symptoms vary greatly.
“Some of them just have a cough, some have fever, some have the feeling of being tired, some have headaches and some have loss of taste and smell,” White said,”So, I think there are different symptoms and everybody doesn’t have all the symptoms and not everybody has the severity of symptoms others have.”
Outbreaks tied to travel, gyms and bars have caused a spike of cases across the which prompts White to remind the public that we are far from defeating this virus.
“The real issue is not how much or how fast we’re opening, it’s the fact people aren’t complying,” White said,”If we maintain social distancing, wear a mask, practice good cough and sneeze etiquette and hand washing and hand sanitizing- I’m telling you that’s how we beat this thing.”