The number of active COVID-19 cases dipped for the second straight day in McLean County as the recent surge in new cases has at least temporarily subsided.
The McLean County Health Department announced three new coronavirus cases on Monday, while the number of active cases dropped to 64. Three people are hospitalized, including one person in the intensive care unit (ICU). Sixty-one patients are isolating at home.
The county has announced 461 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. Fifteen patients have died and 382 have completed their time in isolation and are considered recovered.
The county’s seven-day testing positivity rate dropped slightly to 2.1%, matching the positivity rate since the start of the pandemic, based on 21,800 tests.
Young adults with COVID-19
Young adults make up the largest percentage of new COVID-19 cases in McLean County, at more than 25% of cases. While young adults are less likely to suffer major health complications, McLean County Health Department Administrator Jessica McKnight said the concern is adults in their 20s are the ones most likely not to show symptoms.
“That is concerning because we don’t know what COVID looks like. It doesn’t look like somebody who is ill necessarily if someone is asymptomatic, they could still be spreading that virus,” she said.
McKnight said 15% of the county's COVID-19 cases haven't had symptoms at all.
Schools waiting
Meanwhile, McKnight said schools are still waiting for guidance from the state on how to handle some key questions related to COVID-19 as they prepare to reopen.
One example is, should a child be removed from the classroom while waiting for COVID test results after they show symptoms?
“The gamut of COVID-19 symptoms, it’s pretty extensive,” McKnight said. “(The Illinois State Board of Education) wants to be able to give schools and even parents a little more information about what to do if a child has some of the symptoms of COVID-19.”
McKnight said schools will have to adhere closely to COVID-19 prevention measures when they reopen next month to avoid an outbreak, acknowledging there's still a lot that is unknown about the coronavirus.
“This virus has only been around for only about seven months, so we don’t know what that looks like in a school setting,” she said. “The Illinois Department of Public Health are learning from schools in other countries that have gone back to see what is working.”
McKnight said coronavirus testing can only help so much, because it's only a snapshot in time.
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