Oak Ridge Today

COVID-19 cases rise to 228 in Tennessee

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Note: This story was updated at 3:50 p.m.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee rose to 228 on Friday, up from 154 on Thursday. The new total includes the first confirmed case in Anderson County.

The number of cases increased about 48 percent from Thursday to Friday.

The 48 percent jump from Thursday to Friday followed a 57 percent increase from Wednesday to Thursday. That increase, the largest day-to-day increase, was due to more tests being available, said Lisa Piercey, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health.

The contagious respiratory illness, which can be lethal, is now reported in 26 of Tennessee’s 95 counties, up from 17 counties on Thursday. Besides Anderson County, Blount County is reporting its first new case.

[Read more…]

So far, about half of Tennessee’s COVID-19 patients are 21-40 years old

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

As of Thursday, about half of the 154 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee were diagnosed in people between 21-40 years old, according to numbers published by the Tennessee Department of Health.

The highest number of cases, 43, were confirmed in people 21 to 30 years old, the data said. That’s about 28 percent of cases.

The next-highest number of cases, 32, were confirmed in people 31-40 years old, the health department said. That’s about 21 percent of cases.

Together, those two age groups account for 75 cases, or about 49 percent of the total.

There is a smaller number of cases, 24, or about 16 percent, in the 41- to 50-year-old age group.

[Read more…]

COVID-19 confirmed in Anderson County

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The first case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Anderson County, according to the office of Mayor Terry Frank.

The Anderson County Health Department told Frank and Steve Payne, director of the Emergency Management Agency, about the first confirmed diagnosis.

According to the Health Department, the patient has self-isolated and the Health Department is currently engaged in education and tracing the person’s contacts. The Anderson County Health Department cannot release any further information about the patient, including a more precise location within Anderson County, a press release said.

[Read more…]

Number of COVID-19 cases jumps to 154 in Tennessee

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Image courtesy Tennessee Department of Health/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Note: After this story was published, the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Anderson County.

This story was last updated at 11:55 p.m.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee jumped to 154 on Thursday, up from 98 on Wednesday.

That’s a 57 percent increase in one day, the largest day-to-day increase. The increase is due to more tests being available, said Lisa Piercey, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health.

There are 15 hospitalizations but no deaths, Piercey said.

The contagious respiratory illness is now in 17 counties, but about half of the cases are in Davidson County, which includes Nashville, in Middle Tennessee.

The total number of cases could be higher because there could be cases that have not yet been reported to the Tennessee Department of Health, which releases its state total at 2 p.m. each day. For example, a COVID-19 case confirmed in Anderson County on Thursday afternoon is not yet included in the state total.

Piercey said the state is still struggling to get some supplies in some areas, particularly personal protective equipment, but there are efforts that could help supply items like masks, according to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.

For screening for testing, the state is giving priority to health care workers, people over 65 years old, and those who are hospitalized.

[Read more…]

MMC asks you to call ahead if you have COVID-19 symptoms

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge is asking you to call ahead if you have symptoms of COVID-19: fever, coughing, or breathing problems.

That’s consistent with recommendations from the Tennessee Department of Health, which asks you to call your health care provider first if you have COVID-19 symptoms.

MMC said you should call (865) 835-3408 before you go to the hospital’s emergency room, and you will be given an explanation of what you should do before you visit.

When you arrive at MMC’s Emergency Department, you will be met outside for a quick assessment, the hospital said. Once assessed, you may be given a mask and asked to wear it before entering the facility. You will be escorted inside by a team member.

[Read more…]

Governor declares state of emergency; first COVID-19 case diagnosed in Knox

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Note: This story was last updated at 7:10 p.m.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee declared a state of emergency to help treat and contain COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus, and the first case has been diagnosed in Knox County.

The Knox County patient was exposed overseas and is an isolated case. The person has been in isolation and has not required hospitalization, according to the Knox County Health Department.

It’s a presumptive positive case, and local and state officials are waiting for confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Following standard public health protocols for infectious disease response, Knox County Health Department said its epidemiologists will work with the Tennessee Department of Health and follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to contact and monitor anyone who may have been exposed to this isolated case. Eighteen cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Health, but it is not currently widespread in Knox County or the state.

“We understand the concern surrounding COVID-19, but we hope Knox County citizens can take some comfort in the fact that we were expecting a case, and that we routinely utilize extensive plans and national best practice to respond to all reportable infectious diseases in Knox County,” said KCHD Senior Director Dr. Martha Buchanan. “The most important thing the public can do is to follow the CDC guidance, which includes the standard hygiene practices we recommend to prevent the spread of flu and other viruses.”

[Read more…]

Covenant Health issues statement in response to coronavirus questions

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

Asked about testing and recommended procedures for coronavirus, Covenant Health issued a statement this weekend that did not respond to some specific questions, particularly about testing, but the health care network did say that it has protocols in place, its medical professionals have been trained, and it is working hard to ensure it has adequate supplies.

Covenant Health has nine hospitals in East Tennessee, including Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, and other health care facilities, including Family Clinic of Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge Today has asked Covenant Health questions about coronavirus and testing for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus. Among the questions: How many testing kits does Covenant Health have, if any, and what are the criteria for testing? Does Covenant Health need the kits yet? Has anyone been tested at Covenant facilities, including in Oak Ridge? If so, how many people have been tested, and what were the outcomes? Is Covenant Health sharing any recommended procedures with people who think they might need to be tested? If so, what are they?

[Read more…]

TN Dept. of Health authorizes testing for COVID-19 seven days per week

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Department of Health announced Sunday that it has authorized testing for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus, seven days per week.

The testing is in response to growing concern about the virus and the illness it causes, the department said.

It wasn’t immediately clear how often the testing was authorized before.

[Read more…]

Updated: Two more coronavirus cases diagnosed in Tennessee

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Image courtesy Tennessee Department of Health/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Note This story was last updated at 11 p.m.

Two more cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus, have been diagnosed in Tennessee, bringing the total number of cases to three, the Tennessee Department of Health said Sunday.

The health department said it was announcing the two new cases in coordination with two metro health departments in Nashville and Shelby County.

The Tennessean newspaper reported that the Nashville patient is an adult woman who is cooperating with a voluntary self-isolation at home in Davidson County, and state health officials are trying to determine how she was infected. The Shelby County patient is a non-elderly adult who recently traveled to another state and is now hospitalized.

[Read more…]

Updated: City prepares for coronavirus as first case reported in Tennessee

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Note: This story was last updated at 5:45 p.m.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson on Tuesday outlined preparations in the city for a potential coronavirus outbreak. Two days later, on Thursday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee reported that the first case of coronavirus, which has spread across the globe, has been confirmed in the state.

In Oak Ridge, Watson said, there is initial public safety planning to identify local efforts to protect residents, and local officials are communicating with schools and hospitals. The Anderson County Department of Health and Tennessee Department of Health are in frequent contact with the city, Watson said.

Procedures that are in place under the city’s emergency operations manuals are being adapted to account for the effects of viruses such as the coronavirus, and protocols and procedures are being established for city employees who will be in contact with potential infections, Watson said.

[Read more…]

State: Man with measles may have stopped in Clinton

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Department of Health on Wednesday said that a man infected with the measles may have infected people at two convenience stores in East Tennessee, including one in Clinton.

In a press release, officials said the Department of Health is continuing to investigate a case of measles in a resident of East Tennessee and notify people who may have been exposed to the illness through contact with the patient. This investigation has identified two locations the patient visited in Tennessee where members of the public may have been exposed to measles.

People who were at either of these locations during the dates and times specified below may have been exposed to measles:

[Read more…]

Teen pregnancy rates down from 2010-2013 in Anderson, Knox

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Tennessee Teen Pregnancy Map

Tennessee teen pregnancy map. The map is color-coded to reflect which counties have a pregnancy rate exceeding 19.5 per 1,000 females, ages 15-17. The map is based on the most current data, which is from 2013 and published by the Tennessee Department of Health.

 

The teenage pregnancy rate dropped significantly in Anderson and Knox counties between 2010 and 2013, state officials said Thursday. It fell about 41 percent in Anderson County and 36 percent in Knox County.

There was a smaller overall decrease in Roane County 2010 and 2013, but the rate actually increased in 2011 and 2012, compared to 2010.

The teenage pregnancy rate also fell significantly in Morgan and Union counties, but it was up slightly in Campbell and Loudon counties and it more than doubled in Scott County.

The pregnancy rate is per 1,000 females from ages 15-17.

The state average fell each year from 2010 to 2013: [Read more…]