County Experiences COVID-19 Outbreak

By Sean P. Hill RS, MBA, MPH, CEO/Medical Administrator, Powder River County Health Officer

Powder River County is experiencing another outbreak of COVID-19 that rivals previous outbreaks. Currently we have twenty active cases with two additional deaths attributed to the virus. Even more surprising is seven of these cases are considered "breakout" which means a person who has been vaccinated contracts the illness.

I am considered one of these "breakout" cases - it hit out of the blue, and caught me completely off guard. To this end, the vaccine likely saved me from a longer illness, as I have experienced none of the respiratory issues, or what researchers are finding out are possible severe long-term effects from contracting COVID. The vaccine kept my symptoms mild, the duration of illness short, and most likely, I was less able to spread the illness to my family and co-workers. In essence, the vaccine did exactly what it was supposed to do.

With the twenty active cases, it is very likely there are others within our community who have the illness and are either experiencing milder symptoms OR not realizing they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

Mine started with a small dry cough - that was it, nothing else. Given the nature of my position and the weariness not to spread it around to others, I made sure to get tested and found it was in fact COVID. I went home and stayed away from everyone. As I type this, I still have a couple of days left to ensure it does not get passed from me to anyone else.

Mild symptoms are still symptoms. These include any combination or individual symptoms such as fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, sudden loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.

If you have these symptoms, it may NOT be hay fever, it may NOT be just a cold, it may NOT be from working in the heat, it may NOT be the smoke from fires. It MIGHT be COVID and if you are vaccinated? Well, hopefully you will have a mild case as I have. If you are NOT vaccinated, then please call Darlynn and make an appointment to become vaccinated. It has been proven safe. Hundreds of millions of doses have been given with very little side effects. It could mean the difference of a few days at home writing about your illness or a few days in the hospital having a machine breathe for you.

If you have any of the symptoms, it's very easy to determine if it’s COVID - come in and get tested. Call the clinic, drive up and they will come out to your vehicle. This illness has not gone away, and if we are not careful will circle back and hit us harder than before. The role public health plays in the community is to put in the preventions that keep us from going through another lock down. I can state with certainty that NO one and I mean NO one wants another year like the one we just went through.

Get tested, Get vaccinated, Keep our community safe.

Thank you all