COVID spike sets new one day record

Jana Mathia, Whitman County Gazette | Aug 27, 20200

COLFAX–A new one-day total record has been set with 49 new positive COVID-19 cases announced Aug. 25. This brings the total to date to 261. All are stable and self-isolating.

Despite the case count, Public Health Director Troy Henderson is not changing any recommendations to the county schools, signifying the geography of the outbreaks.

“This highlights the need that everyone in Whitman County wears a mask, social distance and wash their hands,” said Henderson.

According to Henderson, many of the current cases share apartments or houses and are able to isolate together. If someone in a group living situation needs to be isolated, the county does have quarantine rooms secured. WSU has rooms set aside in case someone in the dorms tests positive. Greek houses have their own plans for isolating positive cases in those staying there.

Henderson also encouraged any of the public who can to get a flu vaccine to do so. An outbreak of flu at the same time as an outbreak of COVID—two infections which share similar symptoms—can run through hospital and medical resources very fast. It is not uncommon, Henderson noted, for hospitals to be at 100% capacity dealing with flu cases alone.

He also pointed out that for a person to be infected with both the flu and COVID at the same time would be a “not good” prognosis for recovery.

The spikes coincide with the recent increase of Washington State University students to the Pullman area.

The increase in people in Whitman County does not change the metric used by Public Health to determine the risk category of the county. According to Henderson, the population count is based off Census numbers which include the WSU student population for approximately 53,000 county-wide.