Submitted by Grays Harbor Community Hospital
Grays Harbor Community Hospital (GHCH) was notified Wednesday of the first positive COVID-19 test for a Grays Harbor County resident. COVID-19 is the illness caused by novel coronavirus.
The person who tested positive for COVID-19 is a Grays Harbor County resident who had visited King County in February. The patient came to our ER where they were evaluated, admitted, and placed in a droplet isolation room. The individual is still in isolation and receiving care.
To protect the affected individual’s privacy, Grays Harbor Community Hospital will not release additional details about the person unless it is imperative to protect public health. We are working with the Department of Health to proceed in a safe and prudent manner.
The positive test was reported by our commercial lab partner. The case is classified as a “presumptive positive” until the test can be confirmed by the state public health laboratory or the CDC.
GHCH has 6 full isolation rooms for those who may become gravely ill from COVID-19. We do have the capability to care for more patients if necessary, through standard droplet isolation procedures. We are taking extra precautions in the cleaning of our facility.
At this time, we are implementing limits on the number and types of vistors allowed into our facility in order to reduce the potential for infection from the outside. This will help to protect our patients who are generally those most at risk from the Coronavirus.
GHCH is preparing drive up COVID-19 testing for those with symptoms at the Hospital’s main campus at 915 Anderson Dr, Aberdeen. We will make an announcement as soon as that service is available. We request that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms that are not life-threatening, please avoid public gatherings and stay home.
- Most cases of COVID-19 will not mean hospitalization, or even a trip to an emergency room. Hospital care is a precious resource that needs to be reserved for those with the most serious symptoms.
- Follow the advice of public health to prevent infection, these are common sense steps like washing your hands, not touching your face, staying home when you are sick, coughing or sneezing into a tissue and throwing that tissue away. Check out the Washington State Department of Health’s (DOH) fact sheet for more information.
- f you are sick, stay home and manage your symptoms as you would any cold.
- If your symptoms become worse, call your local nurse line or the DOH coronavirus hotline at 1800-525-0127, press # for symptom evaluation.
- Continue to see your provider for regularly scheduled visits to address your other health care needs. Do not neglect your existing needs.
- More hand washing; less face touching. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
- Regular use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer covering all surfaces of the hands and rubbing them together until dry will decrease risk that the virus is transmitted to you or other people.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home while you are sick and avoid close contact with others.
- Have a plan to care for family members should they get sick or schools/offices be closed.
- Know your workplace telecommute options and school/daycare policies.
- Stock up on food supplies and prescription medications now, so you don’t have to leave your home if you or someone in your household becomes infected.
If you think you are sick enough to come to the hospital please call our phone triage line: 360-5375100. You may be asked to leave a detailed message and one of our nurses will return your call as soon as possible.
For the safety of the public and our patients, all public events, classes and group meetings at the East and West Campuses of GHCH will be postponed or canceled until the threat of COVID-19 has diminished.
If decide to go to the ER and have not called our triage line, first call the GHCH Emergency Department at 360-537-4130. Ask to speak to the Charge Nurse, notify them that you think you have COVID-19 symptoms. You will receive specific instructions.
Resources: WADOH Hotline: 1-800-525-0127 and press # www.doh.wa.gov/coronavirus www.cdc.gov/coronavirus
