With a continued lack of ability to test for coronavirus, San Juan Basin Public Health is asking residents who may be showing symptoms to anonymously self-report.
The local health department announced Monday it launched an online “COVID-19 symptom tracking survey” for residents in Archuleta and La Plata counties, who are asked to report if they are experiencing fever, dry cough or shortness of breath.
“The collected information will help us to better understand whether the virus is increasing, remaining steady or decreasing in spread,” SJBPH said in a statement. “Also, the short survey will allow SJBPH communicable disease staff to better understand the breadth of disease in the region to help inform the level of medical and hospital preparedness.”
The survey can be found at: www.sjbpublichealth.org/coronavirus/.
Once enough surveys have been submitted, the health department will make the data available to the public.
Like nearly all communities across the U.S., Southwest Colorado has experienced extreme difficulty in being able to test its residents during the outbreak.
SJBPH has conducted 146 tests in Archuleta and La Plata counties during a handful of drive-thru testing days, but health care providers in the region are required to report only positive cases to the health department.
SJBPH’s drive-thru testing days were limited to people who showed symptoms of the virus, or who were most at-risk, like health care workers and first responders.
As of Monday, there have been 31 positives cases reported in La Plata County and six in Archuleta County, though SJBPH said that number is likely drastically low because of the lack of testing.
SJBPH released new data about the outbreak that shows out of those La Plata County residents who tested positive 51.6% were female and 48.4% were male.
People between the ages of 50 and 59 accounted for 29% of positive tests. The age ranges of 20 to 29 and 60 to 69 each accounted for 22.6% of positive cases.
People ages 30 to 39 were 9.7%; ages 40 to 49 and 70 to 79 were 6.5%; and ages 0 to 19 were 3.2%.
As of 5:20 p.m. Sunday, April 4
La Plata County was reporting 31 cases
Cases in La Plata County by Gender
- Female: 51.6%
- Male: 48.4%
Cases in La Plata County By Age
- 0-19: 3.2 percent
- 20-29: 22.6 percent
- 30-39: 9.7 percent
- 40-49: 6.5 percent
- 50-59: 29 percent
- 60-69: 22.6 percent
- 70-79: 6.5 percent
