Dr. Matthew Cartter, the state’s epidemiologist, at a press conference in Hartford Wednesday. Photo courtesy of The CT Mirror.
A third Connecticut resident has tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus, state officials announced Wednesday.
The person was described as an elderly male who lives in New Canaan. He is being treated at Norwalk Hospital. Health officials said they’re not sure specifically how the man was infected with the respiratory illness. Two previous Connecticut residents tested positive after returning from California and Nevada.
It makes the latest case Connecticut’s first “community acquired” transmission, said Dr. Matthew Cartter, the state’s epidemiologist.
Cartter said he expects the number of cases throughout Connecticut to increase going forward.
“We need to assume that COVID-19 is here. That is especially true in the southwestern part of the state,” Cartter said, referencing the fact outbreaks are underway in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Rochelle, N.Y., where a “containment area” was declared Tuesday.
“If you have fever and a cough, for example, and you’re in the southwestern part of the state, you should assume you have COVID-19,” Cartter said.
The epidemiologist said the pandemic, (officially called that by the World Health Organization Wednesday), has not resulted in death or even hospital stays for most people infected. Cartter was referencing stats coming from China, which experienced the first breakout.
Still, there is a concern that Connecticut hospitals could be overrun with people seeking treatment for COVID-19. That could make treating the very sick much more difficult.
Cartter said the public should be concentrating on taking measures to slow the transmission rate to help hospitals and Connecticut’s vulnerable population (click here for a story that points out hospitals usually hover around 68 percent capacity normally).
That’s why various government agencies are canceling events such as conferences, parades and athletic tournaments (click here for the science behind what’s being called “slow the curve”).
“There are things we can do to slow it down, to make sure our hospitals stay open so that they can take care of people who get very sick. We do know that the vast majority of people who do get sick, at least 80 percent of them … can recover at home, they will not need to be hospitalized,” Cartter said.
Another goal of measures such as hand washing and avoiding large crowds is to protect the most vulnerable — the elderly, and people with existing medical issues — by stalling COVID-19’s ability to travel from a large crowd to individuals who bring it back and pass it to people who are vulnerable.
“We don’t know what the mortality rate of this disease will be in the United States. We know that some of our citizens and residents of Connecticut will not survive this, but our goal is to make that number as small as possible,” Cartter said.
The Valley Indy has reached out this week to the state Department of Health, the Naugatuck Valley Health District, and Griffin Hospital in an effort to learn more about the strategies underlying COVD-19 mitigation. Officials from the agencies have not been available to comment locally.
Home Sick
Families now should be preparing to care for loved ones with COVID-19. He suggested several times that people read information about treating COVID-19 that is posted on the federal CDC website, along with consulting with their doctors.
“Most people will get better at home, especially the younger you are,” Cartter said.
ANSONIA
In an effort to assuage fears, Valley schools and towns Wednesday continued to send communication to families about what they’re doing regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The Ansonia school district announced schools will have a “special early release day” Friday (March 13). Teachers will be working though, making “learning packets,” as a backup plan in case of a COVID-19 shutdown.
“These learning packets will support a maintenance of learning for our students, and the early release time will provide the needed planning time for our teachers,” Superintendent Joseph DiBacco wrote in a letter to parents.
The superintendent also asked parents to develop contingency plans in case schools close. “The length of time that has been discussed by health professionals is 10 days,” he said.
Click here to read the superintendent’s full letter.
DiBacco further said that the general public should limit visits to the city’s schools.
“We will remain vigilant in remaining in contact with the local health department, other city agencies and the State of Connecticut,” the superintendent concluded.
DERBY
Click here for a previous story detailing the coronavirus policy being enacted in Derby Public Schools. The school board is scheduled to meet 6 p.m. Thursday (March 12) for a “coronavirus update,” according to a meeting agenda. That meeting is scheduled to take place in the district’s central office on Fifth Street.
SEYMOUR
Click here for a previous story about how the school district is dealing with COVID-19.
On Wednesday evening, Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller’s office issued a statement detailing precautions the town is taking regarding COVID-19.
Those actions include:
- Canceling all non-essential public board, committee and commission meetings
• All non-essential programming is canceled from the close of business Friday, March 13
• The Community Center and Public Library are closed to the public at the close of business Friday, March 13
• Municipal staff will report as normal but the town recommends residents utilize online resources wherever possible
“These restrictions will remain in place until further notice,” the statement, attributed to the First Selectman, said.
Click here to read the full statement from Seymour.
“We are acting out of an abundance of caution and have no reason to believe that there is currently any immediate cause for concern in Seymour. It is important that we do everything in our power to keep it that way,” Miller said.
“We encourage our residents to approach this virus with caution and to follow the steps recommended by public health officials to reduce unnecessary contact and slow the spread. I understand many residents may disagree with this decision but we ask for patience and understanding as we work through this together.”
SHELTON
Shelton school officials sent a message Wednesday saying they are NOT closing school for two weeks at this time. Click here to read the message.
Click here for a story from The Shelton Herald on COVID-19 related efforts happening there.
