If you attended the Chillicothe High School Graduation or Prom, you may have been exposed to COVID-19. The Livingston County Health Center received notification of two confirmed COVID-19 positive individuals who attended the Chillicothe R-II Graduation that took place on Friday or Prom on Saturday.
The Health Center has contacted individuals who were in close contact with the two positive cases. If you attended either Prom or Graduation, please monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19 and do your best to stay isolated from other people for 14 days.
COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization. Most common symptoms include fever; dry cough; tiredness; aches and pains; sore throat; diarrhea; conjunctivitis; headache, loss of taste or smell, a rash on the skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; chest pain or pressure; loss of speech or movement.
On average it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days.
If you have specific concerns of close contact and have not been called, call the Health Center at 646-5506 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. If you have general questions about isolation and quarantine, please call the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Toll-Free COVID-19 Hotline at 877-435-8411.
Avoiding exposure is the best way to prevent the illness as there is currently no vaccine and no medications available to prevent or treat COVID-19. There are also everyday preventable actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-10 and many other respiratory diseases:
Avoid close contact with people, especially those who are sick, also known as “social distancing.”
Voluntary home isolation: stay home at least 24 hours after a fever or signs of a fever are gone, without the use of fever-reducing medicines, as well as other known signs of the illness.
Wear a mask in public places to avoid the asymptomatic spread of the virus. It is also beneficial to wear a mask when traveling by car for more than 15 minutes with anyone at higher risk.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, and then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
While voluntarily isolating at home, proper respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene are important, there are other ways to help prevent the spread of disease. Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces with appropriate detergent-based cleaners or disinfectants and increase the frequency of cleaning.
