SPIKE: Wasco County has 97 COVID cases in six days
From North Central Public Health District Interim Director Shellie Campbell:
North Central Public Health has found a significant amount of Wasco County’s recent spike in COVID-19 cases is due to Thanksgiving gatherings.
A steady single-digit amount of cases were reported in the six days after the holiday. Then a double-digit increase began, reflective of the typical roughly five-to-seven-day timeframe from the date of infection to onset of symptoms.
That increase in cases included 48 cases reported in 48 hours, on Dec. 4 and 5.
From Dec. 3, through Dec. 8, the county recorded 97 cases.
Enough time has passed since Thanksgiving that now, NCPHD is seeing people who got infected by someone who themselves got infected at a Thanksgiving gathering, said Tessa Yoo, a COVID a disease intervention specialist for the health district.
A handful of people attended Thanksgiving gatherings while they were mildly symptomatic, said Jeremy Hawkins, an epidemiologist for NCPHD.
But others only developed symptoms or tested positive a day or two after Thanksgiving.
“In general we think people are capable of spreading the virus up to 48 hours prior to when their symptoms start,” Hawkins said.
He noted the incubation period is 14 days after exposure, so the fallout from Thanksgiving itself could be experienced through this Thursday, Dec. 11.
