Local COVID-19 patient caught illness from visitor

Local health officials this week released few details about Lincoln County’s first novel coronavirus case in months, but described the community’s exposure as fairly limited.

Officials announced the positive test result in a June 27 press release. They described the patient only as a man in his 70s. Jennifer McCully, public health manager for the county, said this week that the man had since been hospitalized.

McCully said the patient likely contracted the illness, which causes COVID-19, from an out-of-state visitor. The man became aware of the possible exposure after the visitor tested positive for the coronavirus. He underwent testing after he began to suffer symptoms linked to the illness, McCully said.

She did not say what state the visitor had traveled from.

McCully said department staff had performed a contact investigation on the individual, essentially locating and testing those who came into close proximity with the man. In the June 27 release, officials said that anyone not yet contacted by the health department is not considered a “direct contact” to the patient.

The man is Lincoln County’s eighth novel coronavirus patient and the first to test positive for the illness since April 5. Word of the positive test result came as COVID-19 cases spiked in Montana and elsewhere in the nation. As of July 1, there were 303 active cases known in the Treasure State.

The number of new cases reported in Montana steadily dropped from an initial high of 35 confirmed in one day on March 26. In late May, the state enjoyed a days long stretch without any new confirmed cases.

But cases began climbing again in June. Montana reached a new high in confirmed cases — with 56 reported — on June 28.

States across the nation have seen an upswing of cases in recent weeks, which prompted officials in some communities to halt or rollback reopening efforts underway since the more stringent restrictions were enacted in the early days of the pandemic. Drinking establishments in Colorado, Texas, Florida and Arizona have again been closed in an attempt to stem the coronavirus’ spread.

Nationally, 44,474 cases were confirmed June 30. That brought the number of cases in the U.S. to more than 2.6 million, according to the Washington Post.

In Montana, 642 people have recovered from COVID-19, according to data compiled by the state. Twenty-two have died during the pandemic.

Lincoln County saw Montana’s first fatality: A Bull Lake man in his 70s died March 26 after contracting the illness while traveling out of state.

McCully said health workers across the county were performing COVID-19 tests. Although mostly confined to patients undergoing procedures at the medical center, McCully said department staff were increasingly testing individuals displaying symptoms linked with COVID-19.

“We’re in a holding pattern, waiting to see what’s circulating in the community, whether it be strep or some other pneumonia,” McCully said. “We are testing a lot of symptomatic individuals.”

In the coming days, the Center for Asbestos Related Disease will take over the bulk of COVID-19 testing. Using a roughly $30,000 grant, health officials have hired an individual to coordinate the county’s testing system. Bringing aboard a person dedicated to the task will free health department staff for other jobs and allow the county to better implement a data-driven approach, officials have said since announcing the plan.

McCully said interest in testing remains low across the community, but she expected that to change if and when cases increase. In the meantime, the department continues to recommend people wear masks and engage in social distancing while following other state guidelines, like avoiding social gatherings of more than 50 people.

The Lincoln County COVID-19 hotline, which is staffed 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, can be reaced at: 406-293-6295.