Fayette County, GA – In this time of the pandemic caused by the spread of coronavirus causing life-threatening COVID-19 cases, it is vitally important to make sure that information disseminated by the media is correct, and adjusted where inaccuracies are found.
That was the case with a news report issued by The Citizen on Monday, March 9th. The headline read “Fayette has its first ‘presumed’ COVID-19 case”. Then the text went on to explain the following:
Fayette County has its first “presumed positive” case caused by the novel coronavirus, according to a news release sent Monday night from the office of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
The unidentified Fayette person is “hospitalized,” Gov. Kemp’s office wrote. The location of the hospital was not disclosed.
In addition to the Fayette case, there are four other presumed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, the governor’s office wrote.
“The additional cases are in Cobb, Fayette, Gwinnett and two in DeKalb,” the state said. “The individuals are hospitalized, and the sources of their infections are unknown.”
The trouble is when I went to look for the press release on the website of the Governor’s Office Of Brian Kemp, there was not one document matching that report. Then, I called the Governor’s Office, and then the Press Office ran by Cody Hall. No response.
Then, I emailed Mr. Hall himself – no response from him to date and time.
So, I took a copy of the text highlighted above that was quoted in a number of publications, including The Citizen in Fayetteville, and pasted it into Google Search. That’s where I learned the actual location of the news: The Georgia Department Of Public Health. It could be that the Governor’s Office originally posted the press release, or issued it, but didn’t put it on the press website. Whatever the case, the news origin was redirected to its rightful place: The Georgia Department Of Public Health.
This is what the websites of the The Georgia Department Of Public Health read:
ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is awaiting confirmatory testing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on five additional presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Georgia. The additional cases are in Cobb, Fayette, Gwinnett and two in DeKalb. The individuals are hospitalized, and the sources of their infections are unknown.
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 and presumed positive cases of COVID-19 are broken down by county as follows:
Confirmed COVID-19 (6)
Fulton County 3 Floyd County 1 Polk County 1 Cobb 1
Presumptive Positive COVID-19 (11)
Fulton 2 Cobb 3 Fayette 1 DeKalb 2 Gwinnett 2 Cherokee 1
So, it’s clear that there is a COVID-19 patient in Fayette County, and that person is in the hospital.
Take The Following Precautions to Avoid COVID-19:
The State of Georgia asks you to do the following to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19:
The overall risk of COVID-19 to the general public remains low, although elderly people and individuals with chronic medical conditions may be have increased risk for COVID-19. The best prevention measures for any respiratory virus are:
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. • Stay home when you are sick. • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
If you have recently traveled to areas where there are ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 and develop fever with cough and shortness of breath within 14 days of your travel, or if you have had contact with someone who is suspected to have COVID-19, stay home and call your health care provider or local health department right away. Be sure to call before going to a doctor’s office, emergency room, or urgent care center and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
For accurate and reliable information about COVID-19 log on to https://ift.tt/2TWHH0x or https://ift.tt/2wHRUGl
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