First Case of COVID-19 Confirmed in Dubuque County

DUBUQUE, Iowa – A case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Dubuque County. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), the individual is self-isolating at home.

“While this is Dubuque County’s first case, it will not be the last, and that’s why we encourage all residents to continue to make prevention a priority,” said Patrice Lambert, Dubuque County Public Health Executive Director. These actions include:

• Washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time.
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm.
• Staying home when ill.
• Practicing social distancing by maintaining six feet of space from others.

“These actions will assist in flattening the curve so that all of Iowa’s COVID-19 cases do not occur at once and overwhelm our health system,” added Lambert.

Approximately 80 percent of Iowans infected with COVID-19, will experience only a mild to moderate illness. Most mildly ill Iowans do not need to go to their healthcare provider or be tested to confirm they have COVID-19. Sick Iowans must stay home and isolate themselves from others in their house. Stay home and isolate from others in the house until:

• You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers)

AND

• other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)

AND

• at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.

If you think you may need healthcare, call first. Your provider can assess whether you need to be seen in the office or if you can recover at home. There may also be options for you to talk to a medical provider from home using technology.

Our public health response team is working with the Iowa Department of Public Health daily. For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the IDPH website at https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus and follow the IDPH on Facebook at @IowaDepartmentOfPublicHealth and on Twitter at @IAPublicHealth.

The Dubuque County Public Health Incident Management Team will hold a media conference at 4 p.m. today. Watch on CityChannel Dubuque (Mediacom cable channels 8 and 117.2), on the City of Dubuque website at www.cityofdubuque.org/media, or on the City of Dubuque Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cityofdubuque. 

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Patrice Lambert, Executive Director
Dubuque County Health Department
563.557.7396