Two more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed Thursday, April 9, in Crow Wing County residents, bringing the total to 13.
Crow Wing County reported its received confirmation of the cases from the Minnesota Department of Health. Both of the new cases are men.
Among the 13 cases, 10 are men and 3 are women in the age range of 20s to 80s. Four of the patients are hospitalized, five are not hospitalized and the hospitalization status of four patients is currently unknown. Five patients no longer need to be isolated. One patient is a health care worker, nine are not and the health care work status was unavailable for three patients.
One Crow Wing COVID-19 case is known to be travel-related, nine are not related to travel and it’s unknown whether travel is a factor in three of the cases. Three cases were known to have contact with someone with a lab-confirmed positive for COVID-19.
State health officials have repeatedly warned confirmed cases are likely a significant undercount of actual COVID-19 cases circulating in the state, and noted residents should assume the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus is circulating in all Minnesota communities.
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Symptoms, recommendations and resources
In a majority of cases, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. Health officials recommend individuals and families make a plan in case someone gets sick. They also suggest following the same steps for avoiding the flu:
Stay home and away from others if sick.
Cover coughs and sneezes with an elbow or a tissue.
Wash hands frequently for 20 seconds with soap and water.
Avoid touching the face.
The Minnesota Department of Health has set up COVID-19 hotlines available every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.:
School and childcare questions: 651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504.
Health questions: 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903.
Visit cdc.gov and health.state.mn.us for more information about COVID-19.
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