Over 1,000 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Madison County
JACKSON, Tenn. — Health officials are seeing yet another surge of COVID-19.
The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department has received positive test results for over 1,000 cases in the last week.
“We know that there are a lot more cases than this in Madison County. We are prioritizing the cases that are where folks are still in isolation. We call those cases first. So this number is higher than what we reported today, but we’re still sifting through those labs. We work seven days a week, and there’s only 24 hours in a day. So we’re doing the best that we can, and we will continue to report these numbers as they come in,” said Mallory Cooke, Public Information Officer for the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department.
Previously, the omicron symptoms were thought to be milder than previous variants. However, with the omicron’s ability to spread so quickly, the surge and strain on health care workers is just as high.
“If people have gotten their booster, the symptoms are very mild. It’s kind of like a cold. They have a runny nose, you know. You may kind of feel kind of like you’ve got the crud for a few days. People who have not received their booster, they’re the ones who are having a tougher time getting over their their illness,” Cooke said.
Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came out with new quarantine guidance, the health department still recommends to isolate and test until negative.
“You could still be contagious on day six, or day seven, or eight, or nine, or 10. That’s one of the reasons that these at-home tests are really, really great,” Cooke said. “Say you do test positive, you could retest yourself again on day six. If it’s still positive, you need to hang back and continue to isolate. So just know that because this guidance has changed, doesn’t mean that it’s okay to come out on day six or day seven. You need to be fever free for at least 24 hours, and your symptoms need to be improving.”
Cooke says if you do take an at-home test, make sure to wait until you show symptoms because testing too early is possible.
“If you definitely have been exposed, definitely go get tested. If you have any of the symptoms, even if it’s just a runny nose and a headache, that’s two of the symptoms,” Cooke said. “There are a lot of people who are sick right now. It could be COVID, it may not. It may just be a cold, but when in doubt, definitely go get a test.”
The health department is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The health department offers COVID-19 vaccines from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. No appointment is required.
They also have a COVID-19 hotline if you have any questions. That phone number is (731) 240-1771.
You can also find a vaccine near you by using this tool.
For more information on COVID-19, go to the CDC website, the Tennessee Department of Health website or call (877) 857-2945.
Additional COVID-19 information can be found in the “COVID-19” tab of the website.
