The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indiana has climbed to 365, according to the Indiana State Department of Health on Tuesday. The agency says as testing ramps up, the number of confirmed cases will continue to rise. Nearly 3,000 tests have been reported to ISDH.
The state has now seen 12 novel coronavirus-related deaths as of Tuesday. State Health Commissioner Kris Box says these deaths are Hoosiers, not just numbers.
“For every single Hoosier that has lost their life, there is a family, friends, and or community out there that is grieving their loss,” she says.
Box says about 13 percent of tests are coming back positive. She says the health department supports targeted testing for those in high-risk groups instead of testing everyone who is sick. She says if you are sick, you should isolate yourself from others – including those in your house.
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In an effort to help protect health care workers, Box says the state has requested protective gear like face masks, gowns and other items from the Strategic National Stockpile and also hopes to receive supplies from FEMA.
"I want to emphasize that we are still very early parts of this outbreak," Box says. "We will continue to see more cases."
Box says as the number of COVID-19 cases increases, it is not realistic to trace every person the patient may have been in contact with. She says officials will focus on tracing and testing high-risk areas like health care facilities, long term care facilities and jails.
Box says if you test positive, tell your employer and anyone you may have been in close contact with.
“If we all take this seriously, and we all do our part, we can slow the spread of this virus and save lives," Box says.
Contact Darian at dbenson@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @helloimdarian.
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