Between Thursday and Sunday, nearly 70 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in Montgomery County.
Compared to a summer when the county reported one or two new cases a day — many days with zero reported — it’s becoming evident that extended, indoor interactions are a culprit in the area’s rise in COVID-19 cases, Montgomery County Health Department Administrator Amber Reed said.
“As people, we want to try to associate transmission and spread with a place or a business; it’s really less about the location and more about our interactions with people,” said Reed, who has worked closely with Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Scott Douglas and other health professionals throughout the pandemic.
“What we’ve seen, at least in the last couple of weeks, is that it’s more-so related to events that are more intimate and social.”
Contact tracing of those who test positive helps to identify specific individuals who may have been exposed to the virus. In recent weeks, a cluster of new cases was slowly pinpointed to a wedding. Another, smaller cluster has been traced back to the planning of a funeral.
“We have to have that interaction to get things done, and it would seem very impersonal to do that by video,” Reed said. “But even in those cases we need to think about, if we’re going to be in close proximity with an individual that goes beyond a brief interaction, we should wear a mask.”
Weddings and funerals are examples of events where participants may feel masks and social distancing are unnecessary or inappropriate, Reed said. Other family events, church and social activities, and congregate living also increase the risk of transmission because they all have one thing in common — extended interaction.
“Our interactions are typically so brief that we don’t see transmission; I’ve not been able to trace anything back to a bank, or to a Kroger. But we have been able to trace it back to more personal interactions between individuals,” Reed said.
Proactive planning can also be effective in combating the spread of the virus. As many gather for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, families can promote awareness by utilizing a larger venue and wearing masks, and open communication can be critical in contact tracing — those visiting relatives and friends are encouraged to be open with where they have been.
But as the evolution of the virus continues, MCHD also understands there has to be room for awareness to grow, Reed said.
“Everybody is managing this differently, and as numbers go up and down, individual anxiety is different, and how people respond through this is not right or wrong. For that reason we need to give a little grace,” Reed said. “We need to support our schools and those staff members that are working really hard to keep our kids in school ... that’s critical on many levels beyond their education.
“And be patient. We’re still learning a lot. We’re eight months into this so now as we get into this second wave we’re also learning a lot about the immunity of people who’ve already had it,” she added. “That data is just starting to come out. We just don’t know what happens 90 days out. We’re learning and working hard that we know and share the information we have available to Montgomery County residents.”
Reed, Douglas and others are continuing to meet regularly to discuss the ever-changing nature of the virus and the effects on the county.
Daily updates are made available through the MCHD website www.montgomerycounty.in.gov. Updates are also posted each day at www.facebook.com/MontCoHealth.
Those with questions may contact the health department at 765-364-6440.
